* Governor JB Pritzker’s office….
Today, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) announced that enrollment at public universities in Illinois reached the highest level since 2015, with more than 190,000 students enrolled during the fall semester of the 2026-27 academic year. Total enrollment at Illinois public universities increased for the third consecutive year and is the highest in 11 years according to IBHE’s annual
First Look Fall Enrollment report.
The statewide increase was just 287 students, or 0.15 percent.
* According to the IBHE report, undergraduate enrollment grew by 2,464 students, or 1.8 percent. Graduate and professional enrollment fell by 2,177, or 3.9 percent, with declines at all 12 public universities. The biggest factor in that decline…
International enrollment fell 14.2% (-3,147 students) to 19,082 in Fall 2026. Undergraduate enrollment fell 5.8% (-521) to 8,495, and graduate and professional enrollment fell 19.9% (-2,626) to 10,587.
International enrollment fell at all 12 public universities. In headcount terms, the largest losses were at the two universities with the most international students, UIUC (-1,179) and UIC (-471). In percentage terms, the largest drops were at GSU (-59.9%), UIS (-52.3%), and EIU (-43.3%), mainly because of large declines in international graduate students. At the undergraduate level, results were mixed: NEIU (+16.9%), CSU (+14.8%), and SIUE (+0.4%) posted gains, whereas UIC (-7.8%) and UIUC (-5.3%) declined.
* From the governor’s press release…
The [international student] decreases are attributed to changes to student visa processing by the federal government. These changes have negatively affected enrollment at public and private universities in Illinois and across the country, creating an unnecessary fiscal strain on postsecondary institutions and diminishing access to talent in all areas of study.
And then there’s Western, which we discussed last year.
WIU’s total enrollment fell another 16.7 percent, from 5,337 to 4,447. That’s 890 fewer students in one year. Undergraduate enrollment dropped 17.4 percent, and graduate enrollment fell 14.9 percent.
Its freshman class is now 429 students, down from 923 in fall 2018.
* More from the governor’s release…
Enrollment of African American and Latino students increased overall, including at the undergraduate and graduate levels, despite the federal government’s efforts to close doors to opportunity, a testament to the students’ drive and the State’s and institutions’ commitment to equity. Total enrollment of African American students increased by 7%, and total enrollment of Latino students increased by 3.5%, or 1,156 students.
Discuss.
- Save Ferris - Friday, Oct 23, 26 @ 11:29 am:
So sad about Western. It’s a good place. I’ve been there, but not in 30 years. Really hope there’s a way to save it.
- Think Again - Friday, Oct 23, 26 @ 11:30 am:
=Its freshman class is now 429 students, down from 923 in fall 2018=
So sad that the freshman number points to a death spiral. Back in my college days (mid-1980s), WIU was thriving. We basically have two successful universities- UIUC and ISU; the rest are in decline. IL needs a more unified university system like WI
- Alton Sinkhole - Friday, Oct 23, 26 @ 11:32 am:
==Enrollment of African American and Latino students increased overall==
Prioritizing American students from marginalized communities seems like a much better thing long-term for America than over-reliance on international students
- Proud Papa Bear - Friday, Oct 23, 26 @ 12:10 pm:
I’ve been watching WIU circle the drain for years but I still just can’t believe it. It’s a spiral they can’t get out of - kids aren’t going there because kids aren’t going there.
In my corner in McHenry County, the Wisconsin schools are a more attractive alternative to WIU. The tuition is about the same and they don’t have to worry that their school could shutter in the near future.
- JS Mill - Friday, Oct 23, 26 @ 12:18 pm:
=Really hope there’s a way to save it.=
You could move it to an area closer to where people are. I kid. Seriously, why would anyone from the greater Chicago area go there? Many there, especially politicians, are openly hostile to public education and to Chicagoans and suburbanites.
=seems like a much better thing long-term for America than over-reliance on international students=
I wonder what percentage of international students opt to become Americans after graduation? Point being that immigration used to be a point of pride for the USA. WHile people were trying to escape numerous countries around the globe. Literally risking their lives to try and achieve the American dream. Our public education system was the envy of the world. Now after 40 years of attacking public education and vilifying immigrants we are seeing the results.
- Irreverent - Friday, Oct 23, 26 @ 12:27 pm:
@Alton
Don’t worry. Republicans will try to “fix that problem.” They’ll never suffer people like that having their lives improved in any way.
- Archpundit - Friday, Oct 23, 26 @ 12:38 pm:
=I wonder what percentage of international students opt to become Americans after graduation?
I don’t have the percent handy, but it is significant and they provide us with people to fill jobs where we don’t have enough people–not the animal processing types of jobs, but good jobs in STEM and related fields that we simply do not have enough of without immigration. Even those who go back to their home country are a great advertising tool for American colleges and universities.
- TNR - Friday, Oct 23, 26 @ 12:44 pm:
Outside of the international student stuff, there are some nuggets of good news. But overall, nothing here that really changes the established enrollment trend: consistent growth at UIUC and UIC, stability at ISU, and enrollment decline everywhere else, some of it dramatic.
This is in keeping with national trends. Flagship universities and big city campuses are doing well. In Michigan, U of M and MSU are growing while the “directionals” bleed enrollment. In Wisconsin, Madison is booming, Milwaukee is growing, and almost all the other UW campuses are struggling.
- fs - Friday, Oct 23, 26 @ 1:24 pm:
Both Carbondale and Edwardsville saw enrollment decreases. Carbondale still has a ways to go to get back to where it was, which may never happen, but it may finally be trending in the right direction again
- fs - Friday, Oct 23, 26 @ 1:25 pm:
*Both saw increases, not decreases
- Sangamo Girl - Friday, Oct 23, 26 @ 1:33 pm:
==You could move it to an area closer to where people are.==
Flippant, but alas, true. No interstate access is not great for the school or the town. Macomb has been shedding manufacturing jobs as well as those at WIU. The regional population is shrinking. Without WIU, will Macomb survive?
- Grimlock - Friday, Oct 23, 26 @ 1:40 pm:
The people of Macomb might soon realize their ideal, getting rid of college students. I recall the Mayor of Macomb going to war with Diamond Dave’s because they had the audacity to have karaoke once a week. Well Diamond Dave’s left, along with most of the students and a lot of other businesses.
- Mason County - Friday, Oct 23, 26 @ 2:04 pm:
WIU. BOT stand behind the President no matter how bad it gets. No real overhaul of administration and athletics (it is a Division 1 school, not FBS but FCS). No real change and so it gets worse. In the past a fine school and it is a shame what has happned there in the last dozen years.
- Archpundit - Friday, Oct 23, 26 @ 2:11 pm:
=I wonder what percentage of international students opt to become Americans after graduation?
So 25 percent is the most common answer, though I don’t place a high level of confidence in the number.
About six percent of students nationwide are international to give you a sense, though at the graduate level it is higher.
- Proud Sucker - Friday, Oct 23, 26 @ 3:39 pm:
“I don’t have the percent handy, but it is significant and they provide us with people to fill jobs where we don’t have enough people–not the animal processing types of jobs, but good jobs in STEM and related fields that we simply do not have enough of without immigration. Even those who go back to their home country are a great advertising tool for American colleges and universities.”
As an Illinois Tech grad this topic, as highlighted by Isabel’s morning briefing, hits so close to home.
Back in ‘83 we had an exchange student from Russia - not sure how, but there he was. After one semester, he didn’t want to go home. He eventually emigrated in the early ’90s post Perestroika. In my department, half of the international students got jobs downtown and stayed. It was a great experience being in a cohort with people of many different experiences. It is very sad that removing this opportunity hurts the university and very, very sad that it lessens the experience of ALL students.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Friday, Oct 23, 26 @ 3:42 pm:
It would be interesting to get a read-out from the individual schools what the drop in International students means for revenue, and whether the increase in non-international enrollment reflects in-state or out-of-state enrollment or both.
I think policywise most people would agree that freeing up seats for Illinois students is a policy win, but that comes with a price tag and I’m not sure if state government is willing to pay it.
- Friendly Bob Adams - Friday, Oct 23, 26 @ 3:50 pm:
Is anyone in state government developing a plan for closing a public university? At some point the enrollment won’t support keeping WIU open.
Closing low-enrollment CPS schools seems to be a popular discussion point lately. Does the same logic hold for public universities?
My sister went to WIU as well as many of my high school friends. It would be sad to see it go, but nostalgia won’t pay the bills…
- 4 percent - Friday, Oct 23, 26 @ 3:57 pm:
It’s time for a single system like WI and CA. The University of Illinois at Macomb or University of Illinois at Charleston. A single Board of Trustees. Each campus has a chancellor (like they do at UIS, UIS and UIUC). Efficiencies and strengthen each campus based on their core areas.