BLUFFTON — Bluffton University reports an increase in out-of-state and graduate enrollment, although full-time enrollment has declined.
The university welcomed 190 traditional first-year undergraduate students this fall, an increase of 18 students over last school year. Sixty-eight of those students came from out of state.
Meanwhile, the university reports graduate enrollment increased 50% over the previous year, with 54 new students enrolled due in part to new graduate programs in social work and dietetics.
A total of 664 undergraduates and graduate students are enrolled at Bluffton University for the 2023-24 school year, though full-time enrollment is “down a bit after a few strong years,” the university reported in a press release Wednesday.
“Most higher education institutions are starting to see the effects of the ‘enrollment cliff’ that is predicted to be at its highest in 2025,” Robin Bowlus, vice president of advancement and enrollment management, said in the release. “I am glad to say despite this dip, Bluffton’s total enrollment has remained steady, with increases in many areas.”
