23,833 prospective students applied to FAMU for admission for the Fall 2023-24 term. The university accepted nearly 26 percent (or 6,168) of the applicants, with 34 percent (or 2,101) eventually enrolling for the fall semester.
Enrollment was down by 352 students from just four years ago (2019), and down by 1,473 students ten years ago (2013) when FAMU’s enrollment was 10,738 students.
FAMU’s decades long enrollment decline, represented a strategic move which allowed the university to focus on improving its graduation and retention rates. The move also help the university catapult 12 spots in the latest USNWR rankings to land a coveted spot among the the nation's top 100 best national public universities.
One downside of the enrollment decline, means that FAMU took in less money in tuition and fees. With fewer students there were less students paying the athletic fee, which makes up nearly 60 percent of FAMU’s athletic budget.
I'll take a decline in enrollment with a increase in prestige and reputation. As far as FAMU losing money for the athletic budget, the AD needs to make up the difference with organizing fundraising and finding sponsorships. I wish more public HBCUs modeled themselves after FAMU, most just take anybody and we need to stop doing that
ReplyDeleteIsn't there an enrollment cap imposed by the BOG?
ReplyDeleteNO.
DeleteFAMU is being very careful in only admitting students that can graduate in four-years to help it meet the state's performance funding metrics.