Out-of-state enrollments surge at UW System schools while resident enrollments fall | Wisconsin Public Radio
Over past decade, nonresident freshmen enrollment grew by 63 percent, new resident enrollments fell by 20 percent
As most University of Wisconsin System campuses grapple with consistent enrollment declines, some have increasingly relied on out-of-state students to fill the gap. That’s brought in more tuition revenue along with some concerns about limited access for state residents. Over the past decade, after the university system lifted caps on out-of-state enrollment, the number of freshmen from outside Wisconsin enrolling at state universities has grown by more than 63 percent. At the same time, the number of freshmen from the Dairy State has declined by 20 percent. That shift came as Wisconsin’s state universities were operating under a tuition freeze for in-state students, a freeze that does not exist for those from outside Wisconsin.
In a statement to Wisconsin Public Radio, UW System spokesperson Mark Pitsch said the growth of out-of-state students is good for universities and the state. “We are in a war for talent,” said Pitsch. “The UW System’s mission is to attract and educate Wisconsin students, and our new Wisconsin Tuition Promise will expand opportunity even further for Wisconsin residents as a cornerstone for making it affordable and accessible. Yet as the state’s top talent magnet, it’s a good thing that we’re drawing students from across the country to our top-notch universities, which provide opportunities to build our workforce here.”
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