University enrollment has dropped in many places. In Arizona, it's breaking records

Enrollment at colleges and universities nationwide has dropped 15% over the last decade — but not in Arizona. Public universities here are breaking records instead.

For the second year in a row, Arizona State University is celebrating a record number of graduates – more than 21,000 this spring. Statewide, total enrollment at Arizona’s public universities reached nearly 238,000 students last fall, the highest in state history.

Much of that growth is online. Nearly 88,000 students — 37% of the total — are enrolled virtually, making Arizona the largest public online university system in the nation.

Corrine Mitra graduated from ASU this month with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences and neuroscience.

"I think now it’s become a thing where you have to have a degree to get a lot of jobs, but I think it’s making it unobtainable for the prices that it costs," she said.

But ASU graduate Tyler Nelson has a different perspective.

“You know, education’s always going to cost you something, and at the end of the day, I don’t care what the price tag was," he said. "The fact that I can say, ‘I’m a graduate,’ and that I earned this myself is totally worth it."

Chris Goulet/ASU

Fred DuVal, who serves on the Arizona Board of Regents, says Arizona's record-breaking enrollment is tied to flexible learning options, especially online.

“The key driver in all of this is moving from what I would call a supply model … to a demand model … meeting the customer where they are is Rule 1, and frankly, higher education at large isn't very good at it," he said.

DuVal attributed this success to early investment and innovation that paid off during and after COVID-19.

Tension between necessity and affordability is something state leaders are watching closely, DuVal said, and maintaining momentum will require both innovation and support from lawmakers.

“The state is financially stressed … we just have not been able to build the state partnerships the way that we need and that we would like," DuVal said.

With a coming drop in the number of traditional college-age students, Arizona’s public universities are also pivoting to reach adult learners – people with some college credit but who don't have a degree.

“Higher education is the driver of the 21st century knowledge-fueled economy … other countries are choosing to compete, and the U.S. needs to compete." DuVal said.