GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Preliminary numbers show enrollment at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay rose in 2021, while UW-Oshkosh saw a decline.
The data, released Wednesday by the UW System, showed enrollment gains at all four UW-Green Bay campuses. In total, the university saw an increase of 313 students, or 3%, in 2021. It’s the sixth consecutive year enrollment grew, according to the university.
“We pride ourselves in our resiliency and devotion to supporting Northeast Wisconsin,” said Kate Burns, UW-Green Bay interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, in a news release. “We recognize that more than 40% of our students are the first of their family to purse a college education. Our faculty and staff work extremely hard at getting students from enrollment to commencement, despite the difficult circumstances that might surround them, especially over the last year.”
Meanwhile, enrollment at UW-Oshkosh decreased slightly from 2020. The university estimates enrollment this year at just over 15,200 students, a less than 1% drop from the previous year.
Despite the decline, the university saw the number of first-year students increase 6.5% from 2020. The increase is the third largest among the 13 UW schools, the university says.
“We are energized by the strong first-year class of students who confidently join us this fall,” UW-Oshkosh Chancellor Andrew Leavitt said in a news release. “They feel safe at UW Oshkosh, have enjoyed a few weeks of unprecedented welcome experiences and are on their way toward pursuing degrees.”
The UW System is expected to release official enrollment headcounts in late-October or November.
