SUNY Sets Enrollment Records - Total Enrollment of 439,624 Students Highest in SUNY History

Albany – The State University of New York today announced that enrollment at the state’s 64 campus system is at its highest in the history of the University.  Fall preliminary estimates show SUNY’s enrollment grew nearly three percent to 439,624 students; an increase of 12,226 students over last fall. SUNY’s enrollment has grown almost 20 percent over the past decade.

 

“This record enrollment is more evidence that students recognize the educational excellence offered by our SUNY campuses,” said SUNY Board of Trustees Chairman Carl T. Hayden. “In a time of difficult economic challenges for students and their families, SUNY clearly is the right choice for an accessible, affordable and high quality higher education experience.”  

 

“Access to an affordable, high-quality education is the core of our mission,” said SUNY Trustee H. Carl McCall, who chairs the Finance & Administration Committee. “In order to continue to provide educational services of the highest quality with the broadest possible access, SUNY seeks addition operational flexibility, which will save money and produce new revenue streams and a tuition plan to ensure academic excellence, and to enable students and parents to plan for college costs.”

 

This fall, 110,322 new students enrolled at SUNY, a cohort which represents 25 percent of SUNY’s total enrollment.  Of this group, the class of full-time freshmen increased almost five percent to 76,828 students.

 

“With a tuition plan and some additional flexibility, SUNY can continue to provide the education our students deserve and provide the state with the best workforce possible,” said SUNY Interim Chancellor Dr. John B. Clark.  “From the community colleges and colleges of technology to university colleges and the university centers, strong enrollment growth in all sectors of SUNY demonstrates demand for a quality education throughout our system.”

 

“This increase in enrollment at SUNY demonstrates the growing demand for access to public higher education in this state,” said SUNY Provost Risa Palm.  “That demand must be met with the resources required for the continued delivery of excellent educational opportunities that make SUNY a great public institution.”

 

In the past ten years, new full-time freshmen enrollment has increased 33 percent; new full-time transfers grew by 23 percent and new full-time graduate students by 40 percent.

 

In addition, another 1.2 million New Yorkers attend SUNY’s 64 campuses through continuing education programs. 

 

These students attend SUNY to satisfy their intellectual curiosity, for self improvement, to experience the joy of learning, to meet professional and continuing educational requirements, and to learn new skill sets to better compete in a rapidly changing and increasingly competitive job market.

 

During the Nov. 18 meeting of the SUNY Board, the trustees approved its 2009-10 budget request.  The budget request is based on the four “pillars” of appropriate state support for SUNY, a rational tuition policy, expanding entrepreneurial activities and public private partnerships, and management operational reforms and efficiencies (MORE).

 

The rational tuition policy that would implement modest, annual and predictable increases based on the Higher Education Price Index (HEPI).  A rational tuition policy would enable students and their parents to better plan for future college costs and provide SUNY with the ability to invest in academic quality initiatives such as hiring additional full-time faculty and providing scholarships and other student services.

 

SUNY’s budget request addresses ways to generate additional revenue to support the University’s mission, as well as to maximize the public private partnerships as such as those called for by Governor Paterson.  For example, SUNY seeks the flexibility to leverage its assets through entrepreneurial efforts that promote commercial and community based activities such as retirement communities, health care facilities, incubators, and energy production.

 

Enrollment Highlights

 

• Enrollment at the state-operated/funded campuses grew by 2.2 percent to 217,858 students. This is the highest enrollment in the history of this sector and represents an increase of 4,589 students over last fall’s official enrollment. 

 

• Of the 31 state-operated/funded campuses, SUNY ESF reported the highest rate of growth at 9.7 percent, and the University of Buffalo enrolled the most students at 28,192.  In the past ten years, enrollments in the state-operated sector have grown 17 percent.

 

• The doctoral granting institutions, which include SUNY’s four university centers enrolled the most students at 98,926. 

 

• Enrollment at SUNY’s 30 community colleges grew by 3.6 percent to 221,766 students.  This is the highest enrollment in the history of this Sector and represents an increase of 7,637 over last fall’s official enrollment.  

 

• Of the 30 community colleges, Schenectady County Community College reported the highest rate of growth at 17.4 percent, and Suffolk County Community College enrolled the most students at 22,742. 

 

• In the past ten years, enrollment at SUNY’s community colleges has grown 22 percent.

 

About the State University of New York

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educating nearly 440,000 students in 7,669 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu 

 

-30-