UH Campuses Experience Continuing Growth in Enrollment with 47,479 Students Enrolled for Spring Semester

University of Hawaiʻi
Contact:
Mia Noguchi, (808) 956-9095
Kristen Bonilla, (808) 956-5039
External Affairs & University Relations
Posted: Feb 1, 2005

There are 47,479 students enrolled at campuses throughout the University of Hawaiʻi system for this spring semester. It is expected that another 34,000 students will be enrolling in non-credit programs throughout the UH system, bringing the total enrollment to more than 81,000.

The Spring 2005 enrollment figures reflect a 1.4 percent increase over enrollment figures from Spring 2004, continuing a constant growth in enrollment since Spring 2002.

"Enrollment at the University of Hawaiʻi continues to increase, providing evidence of our sustained commitment to access for Hawaiʻi students," said UH Interim Associate Vice President for Planning and Policy Linda Johnsrud. "These increases present a formidable challenge. Our funding has not kept pace with the enrollment surge we have experienced since 2002, and thus our campuses scramble to provide sufficient numbers of classes."

Of the 10 campuses, enrollments are up at four with UH Mānoa experiencing the largest numerical gain in enrollment of 713 students over last year, a percentage increase of 3.9 percent, for a total of 19,161 students. Hawaiʻi Community College saw the largest percentage increase in enrollment at 7.9 percent, or 171 students, for a total of 2,336.

Hawaiʻi and Maui Community Colleges are the only community colleges reporting enrollment increases for the semester. Maui CC saw enrollment rise by 2.7 percent, or 74 students, over last year for a total of 2,823.

"The fact that enrollments continue to increase is counter-intuitive given the strength of the economy," Johnsrud added. "It is typical that enrollments decrease when jobs are plentiful, and increase when they are not. In the current situation, Hawaiʻi‘s unemployment rate is among the lowest in the nation, suggesting there are jobs, and yet, enrollments continue to rise."

Of the campuses experiencing decreases in enrollment, Leeward Community College experienced the greatest decrease with 214 fewer students than last spring, a 3.7 percent decrease for a total of 5,511.