Bradley 2024 freshman enrollment

[yoda]

Ray LaHood was on the radio this morning, he’s on the Bradley Board of Trustees.
He notes that Bradley’s incoming freshman enrollment is dismally low this fall - in the 820 range…. Lowest in a generation.

[molar50]

There has been significant turnover ln the head of enrollment. I think the previous person wasn’t here for a month. Because Bradley doesn’t have a large endowment and is primarily financed by tuition, this will cause more challenges for all programs.

[yoda]

This happened under Glasser but Dr Roberts quickly got freshman enrollment & transfer enrollment back up, incoming freshman numbers were well over 1200 his entire tenure

[Stryker]

I wonder if this is an industry trend or something totally specific to BU. I would guess the industry has something to do with it. Enrollments have been trending down and nearly 60% female for a while now...not good signs overall.

[Da Coach]

I wonder if this is an industry trend or something totally specific to BU. I would guess the industry has something to do with it. Enrollments have been trending down and nearly 60% female for a while now...not good signs overall.

It is a common challenge for smaller schools, and especially for private universities. The cost of education has skyrocketed, and with inflation and other concerns, the cost of tuition can be prohibitive. Declining birthrate the last 15-20 years is also a factor.
But it is also a problem with leadership, which is being addressed.
There are numerous articles about this. Here are a few-
>> https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/13/us/pr...ine/index.html
>> https://www.bestcolleges.com/researc...lment-decline/
>> https://www.chicagobusiness.com/crai...rollment-cliff
>> https://thehill.com/changing-america...025-heres-why/

[PhiAlphaBoy]

This happened under Glasser but Dr Roberts quickly got freshman enrollment & transfer enrollment back up, incoming freshman numbers were well over 1200 his entire tenure

This is correct, but I think the retentions numbers took a big hit which nullified these gains.

[yoda]

I wonder if this is an industry trend or something totally specific to BU.....

there's a trend downward at some schools, but it is not happening everywhere
In fact, it is being reported that the number of people enrolling as undergrads nationally is UP considerably - https://www.forbes.com/sites/michael...to-new-report/

a higher pct of private school enrollees depend on financial aid and the feds are sabotaging the small private schools - https://www.universityherald.com/art...s-programs.htm


Illinois State sees largest freshman class in 36 years - https://news.illinoisstate.edu/2023/...argest%20fresh man%20class%20in%2036%20years%2C%20continued%20str ong%20enrollment,-By%20University%20Staff&text=Illinois%20State%20Un iversity%20welcomed%204%2C147,incoming%20class%20i n%2036%20years.

Freshmen Enrollment Increases at Illinois Public Universities for Third Consecutive Year - https://www.illinois.gov/news/press-release.27242.html

New year, new record: University of Cincinnati hits biggest enrollment in school history - https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/cincinnati/new-year-new-record-university-of-cincinnati-hits-biggest-enrollment-in-school-history#:~:text=Contributing%20to%20that%20number% 20is,said%20in%20a%20press%20release.

George Mason - largest freshman class ever - https://www.gmu.edu/news/2022-08/mas...nt-convocation

meanwhile, Bradley freshman enrollment is down over 30% in the last 2-year span.

[yoda]

Ray LaHood was on the radio this morning, he’s on the Bradley Board of Trustees.
He notes that Bradley’s incoming freshman enrollment is dismally low this fall - in the 820 range…. Lowest in a generation.

Bradley has been pretty quiet regarding their freshmen enrollment numbers, probably because they are extremely disappointing.
However, they finally posted a "cryptic" accounting of freshman enrollment on their website by saying:
"First-year Student enrollment: 1027, Transfer enrollment: 185"

Thus, the freshman enrollment is 842.
Recall that when freshman enrollment plummeted under Glasser, Roberts quickly got the freshman enrollment back up over 1,250,
and it stayed there his entire tenure.... and it wasn't because BU lowered academic standards - they actually had the highest GPA's and SAT scores ever ( https://www.bradleyfans.com/forum/sp...ge3#post465087 )
This is 100% on Standifird.

https://www.bradleyfans.com/forum/sports-forums/basketball-fan-talk/26004-bradley-freshman-enrollment

https://www.bradleyfans.com/forum/sports-forums/basketball-fan-talk/26004-bradley-freshman-enrollment/page3#post465087

https://www.bradleyfans.com/forum/sports-forums/basketball-fan-talk/26004-bradley-freshman-enrollment/page3#post455115

[BUBraves2006]

I am about as proud of a Bradley alum as it gets and I can say that I would have definitively had my kids not attend school at BU the past few years based upon the COVID policies that were in place during the outgoing president's tenure. They were appalling at the time and history (I hope) will look back at that time and recognize how significant of a folly it was for the decisions that were made across the country at so many colleges, including Bradley. Good riddance to that man.

I recognize these past mistakes don't apply now for 2024, but I do think some people have soured on college in general because what has happened the last few years. Combine that with the rising costs and other reasons others have put it on the table and it really makes you wonder how it's all sustainable in the long run.

At times, I yearn for the days when I was at BU and I was blissfully ignorant about the world and I could just worry about the next class/party/basketball game.

[Stryker]

At times, I yearn for the days when I was at BU and I was blissfully ignorant about the world and I could just worry about the next class/party/basketball game.

Amen to that brother. I am beginning to think higher education is on its last legs, and it would not surprise me if the entire system came crashing down in the next 5-10 years. Especially with the direction AI is going in regards to education, along with the current demographics of the country and other factors. I know I will not be recommending my boys go to college unless they are shoe in for major scholarships and want to study engineering or med or something. I will be working to get them set up as skilled tradesmen instead.

[bradleyfan124]

Amen to that brother. I am beginning to think higher education is on its last legs, and it would not surprise me if the entire system came crashing down in the next 5-10 years. Especially with the direction AI is going in regards to education, along with the current demographics of the country and other factors. I know I will not be recommending my boys go to college unless they are shoe in for major scholarships and want to study engineering or med or something. I will be working to get them set up as skilled tradesmen instead.

I recommended to both my boys that they go into the trades. Neither one did. One became a private detective and the other one coached college basketball for a few years then joined a sporting goods company. Shows how much they listened to me.

[yoda]

How many are old enough to remember that ANY tiny piece of negative news at Bradley back in 1999 thru 2009
got reported extensively and even became headline news? Stories about players getting in trouble - even an ordinance violation,
stories about disgruntled players making up complete lies- yet getting front page reporting, slight attendance drops, even the local sports writers publishing completely fabricated claims that got 100% refuted by the sources they claimed gave them the story,
yet they wouldn't apologize for their lies (like TCS being promised playing time, like Cellus' father claiming the Bradley'staff
had tampered with him at Iowa, like failed drug tests, & KK was the one who cancelled all the long time preseason events such as Itoo, & like the lies about Maniscalco or Taylor Brown)

And yet - when freshman enrollment under Glasser fell to a 40-year low of 950, it all got explained away as NOT her fault and
a million other excuses & alibis got spewed by PJS.

But now freshman enrollment drops another 100 or more and not a single word or mention from our local news media. Even worse -
in their last mention of enrollment, they even try to point back and claim "Bradley is reeling from a combination of steady enrollment decline and a longstanding financial woes"
NO - freshman enrollment was over 1,200 for almost the entire span that Gary Roberts was President & Bradley was fiscally stable and improving.
Then he handed off to Liberty & Standifird and now they're at historically low enrollment levels, shutting down programs and laying off staff.
Please, PJS, stop lying and covering for their incompetent leadership of, first, Joanne Glasser & now Standifird.
Bradley should be thriving -

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/greater-peoria-economic-development-council_highereducation-collegevalue-bradleyuniversity-activity-7211039229890502658-1Sf7

[bradleyfan124]

How many are old enough to remember that ANY tiny piece of negative news at Bradley back in 1999 thru 2009
got reported extensively and even became headline news? Stories about players getting in trouble - even an ordinance violation,
stories about disgruntled players making up complete lies- yet getting front page reporting, slight attendance drops, even the local sports writers publishing completely fabricated claims that got 100% refuted by the sources they claimed gave them the story,
yet they wouldn't apologize for their lies (like TCS being promised playing time, like Cellus' father claiming the Bradley'staff
had tampered with him at Iowa, like failed drug tests, & KK was the one who cancelled all the long time preseason events such as Itoo, & like the lies about Maniscalco or Taylor Brown)

And yet - when freshman enrollment under Glasser fell to a 40-year low of 950, it all got explained away as NOT her fault and
a million other excuses & alibis got spewed by PJS.

But now freshman enrollment drops another 100 or more and not a single word or mention from our local news media. Even worse -
in their last mention of enrollment, they even try to point back and claim "Bradley is reeling from a combination of steady enrollment decline and a longstanding financial woes"
NO - freshman enrollment was over 1,200 for almost the entire span that Gary Roberts was President & Bradley was fiscally stable and improving.
Then he handed off to Liberty & Standifird and now they're at historically low enrollment levels, shutting down programs and laying off staff.
Please, PJS, stop lying and covering for their incompetent leadership of, first, Joanne Glasser & now Standifird.
Bradley should be thriving -

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/great...890502658-1Sf7

I remember when Joe Stowell got in trouble for playing poker.

[molar50]

Throughout history, people who control the media are able to direct the news. Examples are: Hearst, Murdoch or Turner

[BUfan17]

How many are old enough to remember that ANY tiny piece of negative news at Bradley back in 1999 thru 2009
got reported extensively and even became headline news? Stories about players getting in trouble - even an ordinance violation,
stories about disgruntled players making up complete lies- yet getting front page reporting, slight attendance drops, even the local sports writers publishing completely fabricated claims that got 100% refuted by the sources they claimed gave them the story,
yet they wouldn't apologize for their lies (like TCS being promised playing time, like Cellus' father claiming the Bradley'staff
had tampered with him at Iowa, like failed drug tests, & KK was the one who cancelled all the long time preseason events such as Itoo, & like the lies about Maniscalco or Taylor Brown)

And yet - when freshman enrollment under Glasser fell to a 40-year low of 950, it all got explained away as NOT her fault and
a million other excuses & alibis got spewed by PJS.

But now freshman enrollment drops another 100 or more and not a single word or mention from our local news media. Even worse -
in their last mention of enrollment, they even try to point back and claim "Bradley is reeling from a combination of steady enrollment decline and a longstanding financial woes"
NO - freshman enrollment was over 1,200 for almost the entire span that Gary Roberts was President & Bradley was fiscally stable and improving.
Then he handed off to Liberty & Standifird and now they're at historically low enrollment levels, shutting down programs and laying off staff.
Please, PJS, stop lying and covering for their incompetent leadership of, first, Joanne Glasser & now Standifird.
Bradley should be thriving -

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/great...890502658-1Sf7

I think more so is that fact that local news is dying. Just look at the PJstar or any of the local news channels. They are a shell of what they used to be. Whether those stores in the past were true or false they got some attention. That is just the way news is now, "clickbait" gets just as much attention as real investigative journalism.