University of Akron Enrollment (Wayne: credit, construction, school districts)

[mshultz]

https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/...g/69511428007/


30,000 in 2011, 15,000 in 2022.

With the aging of the baby boomers, I have been expecting college enrollment to decline, especially in those areas of the country where population growth is low. However, this 50% decline was a surprise to me.

[mshultz]

To expand on this, the enrollment decline is not limited to the University of Akron. My college alma mater was put "on notice" by their accreditation organization some years ago, due to financial concerns. Since then, the football team has been eliminated, and both staff and majors have been reduced. Since 45% of the nation's population aged 25 and over have at least an associate's degree, and 35% have at least a bachelor's degree, I do not see increasing college enrollment as a solution to the declining numbers. These numbers vary slightly depending on source.



At the K-12 level in Ohio, public and charter attendance combined for 2016-2017 is 78% of what it was in 1977-1978. Meanwhile, Ohio gained 9.15% in population from the 1980 census to the 2020 census. Ohio has been encouraging the construction of a central campus for new school construction, rather than individual buildings scattered throughout the school districts. I see this as a good thing, but think that further consolidation of school districts will be needed in the future. Wayne county has 10 public school districts. I could see reducing this down to 4 or 5 in the future.