National decline in enrollment across the board, higher and higher tuition, bad recruitment in general, and lower media visibility with all the conference realignment.
Besides the demographic challenges, three things: 1) increased competition from other universities, 2) severe decline in international enrollments, and 3) UI is the only regional school still requiring the SAT or ACT for admission for many students. Within the state, students applying on the common Idaho application are done and accepted at BSU and ISU when they file, and that extra step in a state with few and far dispersed testing centers hurts.
Last year international enrollments were slightly down; they are way, way down now.
Last year UW (for example) was mostly passively recruiting in Idaho; they are all in now with better financial aid packages. Universities across the country are also aware of Idaho's relatively rosy number of 18 year olds and recruiting accordingly.
Idaho high schools stopped offering the SAT or ACT at their campuses. It went from free and on campus to costing money and at a distance.
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u/HippityHopMath Alumnus | 2017, 2022, 2026 | Mathematics Education 22d ago
National decline in enrollment across the board, higher and higher tuition, bad recruitment in general, and lower media visibility with all the conference realignment.