WSU sees increased Fall 2024 enrollment despite national downward trend [Video]

PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State University (WSU) saw increased enrollment in the fall of 2024 despite a national downward trend in first-year matriculation.

According to WSU, the university experienced a 2.4% uptick in first-year enrollment in the fall. That’s in contrast to a 5% decrease in national freshman enrollment.

Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Saichi Oba attributed the strong showing to competitive scholarship offers and an aggressive marketing campaign on the Common App, which is how most high school students apply to college.

Universities have faced an uphill climb throughout the 2020s as a post-recession demographic cliff and have made it more difficult for undergraduate institutions to attract potential students.

Those problems were exacerbated ahead of the national fall 2024 enrollment cycle due to a disastrous Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) rollout that to

A June 2024 report published by The Century Foundationfound that the delayed FAFSA timeline was followed by a significant dropoff in applications, …