TOPEKA — Enrollment at the 32 public universities and colleges under supervision of the Kansas Board of Regents collapsed by 8.1% in the fall semester as the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted educational plans of thousands of students.
The systemwide headcount dwindled to 165,251, down nearly 15,000 students from last fall. Overall enrollment in Kansas’ public higher education system had eroded during the three previous years, but that pre-coronavirus trend amounted to the loss of 3,800 students.
In the new report on fall 2020 enrollment, the University of Kansas, Kansas State University and the four other state universities enrolled 3.5% fewer students than a year ago. Washburn University, a municipal institution in Topeka, was hammered by a 10% reduction.
