Student enrollment at Georgia’s public colleges and universities reached 345,823 this semester, an all-time record for the spring, the University System of Georgia’s vice chancellor of research and policy analysis reported Wednesday.

The spring enrollment numbers at the system’s 26 institutions increased for the second year in a row after declining in 2022 and 2023 as the system emerged from the pandemic, Angela Bell told members of the system’s Board of Regents meeting on the campus of Georgia Southern University in Statesboro.

“We outpaced the nation again in growth,” system Chancellor Sonny Perdue added.

The largest enrollment growth this spring occurred among undergraduates, whose ranks increased by 14.1% over last spring. The number of students enrolled in master’s degree programs grew by 12.6%.

Enrollment at the system’s four research universities – including the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech – rose by 6.5% compared to last spring, while enrollment at the system’s comprehensive universities – including Georgia Southern and Kennesaw State University – was up by 6.1%.

One category of students that has declined in the university system is minorities, which fell during the last five years from 47% of the student population to 42%.

The regents adopted policy changes late last year that prohibit requiring prospective students to submit “diversity statements” outlining how the applicant plans to advance the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The stated goal was to make sure applicants are evaluated on their individual merits rather than ideological tests.

While minority enrollment overall has declined, the numbers among some minority groups are on the rise, Bell said. Hispanic enrollment has increased from 10% of the student population to 12% in the past year, while enrollment among Asian American students is up from 11% to 14%.

Perdue said he’s concerned by the rapid growth in the number of students taking classes online. The number of online courses being offered shot up during the pandemic, and the trend of more students taking a full course load online or a mix of online and in-person instruction has continued.

“I’m not sure if it’s driven by teacher demand or student demand,” Perdue said. “If it continues, we won’t need new buildings in the university system.”

Perdue said the growing popularity of dual enrollment students – high school students taking college courses – has stirred discussion among Georgia lawmakers of establishing three-year degree programs in the university system.

In other business Wednesday, the regents voted to name Georgia Tech’s School of Public Policy after Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. The late former president from Plains, who died last December at the age of 100, attended Georgia Tech in 1942.

Capitol Beat is a nonprofit news service operated by the Georgia Press Educational Foundation that provides coverage of state government to newspapers throughout Georgia. For more information visit capitol-beat.org.

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