Between Fall 2018 and Fall 2020 FAMU's student enrollment dropped by 742 students, according State University System of Florida (SUSF) data. The data showed that FAMU has a 431 student enrollment from 2019-2020, for a total enrollment of 8,841 students for the Fall 2020 semester.
The 2020 enrollment drop was likely fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty that drove prospective college students to reconsider their options. Among the 12 universities in the SUSF only FAMU and New College of Florida experienced significant enrollment declines last fall.
Enrollment down nationally
New spring enrollment data by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center Enrollment shows the steepest decline among undergraduate students across the nation since the pandemic began. The data, which reflect enrollments through March 25, indicate that undergraduate attendance fell by 5.9 percent compared with the same time last year.
It’s hard to tell what the exact enrollment numbers are for FAMU for the spring 2021 semester were since the university’s interactive online data base hasn’t been updated. Additionally, the enrollment numbers on FAMU’s website and those reported to the SUSF are out of sync.
No quick turn around in sight
“There is no quick turnaround in sight for undergraduate enrollment declines driven by the pandemic,” Doug Shapiro, executive director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, said during a recent media briefing. “It really looks from these numbers that the December and January surge in COVID-19 is keeping students out of college through the spring term, even though most colleges are online.”
Most colleges have continued to offer online learning options this semester even if they've made a push to bring some students back to the classroom.
FAMU admissions
Again, there is no way to tell what impact the pandemic might have on FAMU’s fall 2021 enrollment since the interactive online data base hasn’t been updated since last year. With Florida being the only state in the nation to not waive the SAT/ACT test during the pandemic fall enrollment could be a major concern as students look else where.