IU South Bend reports first enrollment increase in over a decade
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Enrollment is up this year at Indiana University’s South Bend regional campus. Officials say the South Bend campus’ Aug. 28 census shows the first year-over-year enrollment increase in 14 years.
The total number of undergraduate students increased 15% compared to 2022 with an 8% increase in freshman students and a 10% increase in transfers. Overall enrollment — at 4,446 undergraduate and graduate students — is up 3% over last year.
“IU South Bend is dedicated to providing an accessible path to a high-quality education,” IUSB Chancellor Susan Elrod said in a news release.
IU South Bend is St. Joseph County’s only public, four-year university. Nearly 90% of students on the IU South Bend campus are from Indiana are nearly 82% are from the north central Indiana region.
In addition to an overall enrollment increase, officials say the number of underrepresented students of color is growing with the number of Hispanic/Latino students up by over 12% and the number of first-generation college students growing by 5%.
IU South Bend officials announced to faculty in the spring that campus leadership would explore major changes to academic degree offerings and organizational structure, citing a need to cut back on administrative costs amid long-term declines in enrollment.
The campus enrolled more than 6,200 students a decade ago and nearly 5,000 students in 2020.
Officials this year say the campuses year-over-year increase counted this August represents a rebounding from the pandemic.
“A college degree is a key factor to increasing social mobility,” Elrod said in the news release. “In a changing economic landscape that can make higher education seem out of reach to many, we take pride in empowering students to realize their potential, improve their lives and the lives of their families, and make an impact on the community.”
