Fastest enrollment decline in the nation

Kentucky public higher education lost 2.2% of its full-time equivalent enrollment, falling from 145,605 in 2006-07 to 142,382 in 2007-08. Only five states had declines, and none fell as fast as Kentucky. In the same period, FTE enrollment rose 2.2% for the nation as a whole.

This decline may confirm earlier concerns raised by Auditor Crit Luallen. Based on data that ended in 2006-7, she raised concerns about slowing FTE enrollment growth, especially for Kentucky residents, and suggested that rapid tuition growth might be the cause.

(Source: State Higher Education Finance: Early Release 2008 provides the FTE data. The report is here: in the first column, look for SHEF Early Release 2008 as the link to download the 12-page report. The Auditor's 2007 report is here.)