GRAND FORKS N.D.
North Dakota’s two largest universities have seen enrollment trends in opposition directions over the past few years.
The University of North Dakota’s enrollment peaked at slightly more than 13,000 students in 2004. North Dakota State University’s enrollment has been growing.
This fall, UND reported a fall enrollment of 12,559 students, topping NDSU by 32. UND’s enrollment dropped 2.1 percent from last fall, while NDSU’s enrollment was up 2.2 percent.
The Grand Forks Herald, in analyzing enrollment trends of the two schools, said NDSU topped UND in in-state enrollment for the third time this year and had only 53 fewer non-North Dakota students than UND.
UND’s enrollment drop is part of a plan to better manage student numbers, said Bob Boyd, UND’s vice president for student and outreach services. In 2005, UND raised its admissions standards to try to keep more students who are better prepared for courses, he said.
UND’s strategic plan calls an enrollment of about 12,000 students on campus and roughly 2,000 more through online and correspondence courses. The school is near that goal now, though the online enrollment figure is artificially low because online students are not required to complete classes on a semester basis, Boyd said.
