Maryland Higher Education Commission

November 2009 Press Release

 

 

For immediate release: November 18, 2009                             Media Contact: Christopher Falkenhagen
                                                                                                             Communications: (410) 260-4511

                                                                                                             cfalkenh@mhec.state.md.us

 

Enrollments soar at Maryland colleges and universities, setting a new record

Annapolis, MD (November 18, 2009) - A stunningly positive report released today by the Maryland Higher Education Commission reports that fall enrollment of undergraduates and graduate students at Maryland’s colleges and universities soared by 5.2 percent, shattering a new record.

MHEC’s 2008 fall total enrollment also set a record of 3.5 percent making this year’s record an impressive 1.7 percent higher than last year.

Total headcount at Maryland’s two- and four-year public and independent colleges and universities increased by 5.2 percent since 2008. This is a gain of 17,641 students. Overall total headcount is 354,858.
Growth at Maryland’s community colleges was the highest increasing by 9.3 percent (11,938 students) and accounting for more than two-thirds (67.7 percent) of the growth in postsecondary enrollments. This is a major difference in last year’s community college fall enrollment figure which was 46.2 percent. Growth at Maryland’s public four-year campuses grew by 3.0 percent (4,554 students). Enrollment at the state’s independent colleges and universities increased by 2 percent (1,149 students), accounting for 6.5 percent of the State’s enrollment growth as opposed to gains of only 0.2 percent last year.

“Clearly students in every segment of our postsecondary institutions are seeing that Maryland offers outstanding colleges and universities and are eager to attend them,” Governor O’Malley said. “Students and their parents are seeing that what we have to offer our college students is an outstanding education wherever they choose to go virtually throughout the entire State.”

During his term in office, Governor O’Malley has made higher education one of his key priorities. He is the only governor in the nation to have frozen tuition at the University System of Maryland’s 11 universities and Morgan State University four straight years and has provided record funding (nearly 49 percent) for community colleges.

All of the State’s 16 community colleges with the exception of Allegany College of Maryland experienced overall enrollment gains. The Community College of Baltimore County (with campuses in Catonsville, Dundalk and Essex) grew by the largest number of students (2,911) and also increased by the highest percentage of students (14.1 percent)

Total enrollment at The University System of Maryland increased by 3 percent (4,338 students) to 147, 795 overall and enrollment at Morgan State University increased by 3.2 percent (221 students). Only St. Mary’s College of Maryland showed a very slight loss of student enrollment of five, or 0.2 percent.
 

The Maryland Higher Education Commission is a 12-member coordinating board responsible for establishing statewide policies for Maryland public and independent colleges and universities and private career schools. It serves as an advocate for more than 337,000 college students in Maryland, for the State and its needs, and for business and industry in Maryland.

 

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