Enrollment for the spring 2011 semester has increased by 104 students from this time last year.

According to Biola’s final enrollment and admissions report, the total number of students enrolled in the university is 5,835, up 104 students from 5,731 students in the spring 2010 semester. The number of undergraduates has risen with 3,547 continuing students, 15 new freshmen, 101 transfers and 55 reapplications. Last year’s numbers were smaller in each medium except in reapplications.

Talbot’s enrollment falls

Although Biola’s undergraduate enrollment has risen, Talbot has failed to follow suit.
The report shows Talbot’s enrollment rates for the total number of students –– including new students and reapplications –– are unable to match those from the previous year. Talbot is 51 students shy of last years’ 1,235, totaling 1,184 students this semester. This deficit now reigns as the largest deficit in enrollment that Talbot has had, exceeding the largest decrease of 42 students from the fall 2010 semester.

According to Greg Vaughn, vice president for enrollment management, the decline in Talbot enrollment is not surprising.

“The drop is probably a combination of a changing graduate student market where the preferred ‘delivery’ of the education — online courses, weekend courses, etc. — is shifting, and some internal problems we have had communicating with prospective graduate students because of our migration to a new software system,” Vaughn said. “Talbot has been bucking national trends for a couple of years now, experiencing growth while other seminaries have declined. In that sense, it is not surprising that we have seen some decline the last two semesters.”

Talbot is not the only sector that has less students.

Biola’s school enrollments decrease

The enrollment rates for the School of Education, Cook School of Intercultural Studies, Rosemead School of Psychology and Crowell School of Business have also decreased. According to the admissions report from fall 2010, the number of students in each school has gone down, and this semester is no different. All four schools have decreased in students by at least a single digit.

Increased growth even with dips in enrollment

Despite this, Biola is among the majority of the nation’s colleges in the increased enrollment rates. According to the report “State of College Admission 2010,” released by the National Association for College Admission Counseling, there is an expected increase in students who enroll in degree-granting institutions until at least 2018.