New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities committed to college opportunity for new jersey citizens

150 West State Street, Trenton, New Jersey 08608                       609-989-1100     609-989-7017 fax                   njascu@njascu.org

State College/University Growth Continues: 
Demand, Enrollment Up

Darryl G. Greer, Executive Director/CEO
Paul R. Shelly, Director of Communications

Press Release

October 11, 2006

With estimated undergraduate enrollment at a record 76,500 students, overall demand for New Jersey's state colleges and universities is robust and growing, according to the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities (ASCU).

The record enrollment increase is projected at 2.7% above last year's total, and 15% higher than one decade ago.  It reflects student demand at both the eight traditional institutions in the Association and at the state's non-traditional college for self-directed adults: Thomas Edison State College.  Thomas Edison's undergraduate enrollment surged about 17.4% over the past year.

Applications are up.  A preliminary survey of the eight traditional institutions reveals that state colleges have received for the current fall term a new record number of first-time, full-time applications and about 5.5% more than last year and 20% more than five years ago.  ASCU's CEO, Darryl G. Greer, says "Somewhere around 46,000 applications is our current estimate, allowing a reasonable margin of error.  That number reflects, we estimate, about 21,000 applicants.  These are individual students, who typically apply to two or more of the eight traditional state colleges and universities."

Last year there were about 43,612 overall applications; five years ago, 38,434.

Greer noted that, "Unfortunately, the institutions do not have the capacity to enroll all the students who apply, although a large share of them, nearly 10,000, are accommodated."  Those whom we were not able to accommodate will have opted for eligible institutions outside New Jersey or other public and private institutions and community colleges in the Garden State.

Growth: no surprise.  While college applications and freshman enrollment are not growing at the same rate at each institution, Greer says, the overall upward trend for applications does not surprise him.  ASCU has been tracking demand since the 1990's and was in the forefront of identifying surging demand here caused in part by the so-called "baby boom echo" demographics.

This academic year, the state's annual number of high school graduates next  year is expected to reach just over 100,000 and remain at this record-high level until 2018, over 20,000 additional new graduates each year as compared to 1996-1997.

Most of the Garden State's students plan on attending college and are well-prepared academically by their local schools, Greer pointed out.  New Jersey ranks number one nationally in the share of ninth graders who graduate and go on to attend college after graduation.

Another factor in the demand growth is heightened desire to take advantage of the increasing quality, comprehensiveness and value New Jersey state colleges and universities have to offer.  A recent College Board report shows that among all American institutions of higher education to which New Jersey SAT test takers choose to have their scores sent, seven state colleges and universities, along with Rutgers University, are among students' top sixteen choices.  An added factor is New Jersey schools' success at preparing students for college; the state leads the nation in college participation of youth from low income families, percentage of ninth graders graduating from high school and percentage of ninth graders entering college upon graduation.

Partly because of underinvestment in public college capacity, New Jersey leads the nation in net out-migration of high school students bound for college.  According to the National Center for Education Statistics, annually, more than 32,000 high school graduates leave the state to attend college.  Even when factoring in the 5,600 students who arrive from other states to attend here, the Garden State's net annual loss is nearly 27,000 students.  Studies have shown that the exodus costs the state billions of dollars.

Capacity growth needed, and state investment.  Currently, the state provides few incentives for enrollment growth, ASCU has provided leadership in cooperation with the entire higher education community to make recommendations for policy to remedy New Jersey's college capacity problems, including advocating the need for a $2.705 billion voter-approved facilities bond for new academic buildings serving the state and institutional needs.  Legislation to accomplish this goal is pending, and together with other long-term policy matters is under consideration by the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education.

Greer says that based on ASCU polling as recent as Fall 2005, New Jersey's last election cycle, college opportunity and affordability remain a high priority for New Jersey likely voters.

National and state data sources include: National Center for Education Statistics, Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education, National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, and the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education.