SIU Carbondale leaders say Spring 2021 enrollment trends mirror what the school reported in the fall.
The tenth-day report shows retention rates were steady - the number of new freshman is up 36% year-over-year, and reflects a similar bump reported in the Fall of 2020. The freshman class that entered back in August had an 85% retention rate for the spring, as well.
Chancellor Austin Lane says there was also an increase in first-time students this spring, perhaps indicating that some students put off classes in the fall because of the pandemic - but that they're starting their academic career now as COVID-19 vaccines are available and more data is available about how the school is handling the pandemic.
Total spring enrollment is 10,378 students - that's down about 3.7% from last spring - but represents a similar drop to the one SIUC reported in the Fall of 2020.
