Tennessee Higher Education Commission says overall enrollment has increased across public colleges and universities

Paige Elliot, senior director of research and strategy for THEC and the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC), gives an enrollment update at Thursday’s THEC meeting. (Screenshot)

Despite witnessing a decline in first-time freshmen enrollment, overall enrollment has increased across Tennessee’s public colleges and universities, according to recent data from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.

Paige Elliot, senior director of research and strategy for THEC and the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC) said during an enrollment update at Thursday’s THEC meeting that enrollment among undergraduates increased by 2.3 percent from the fall of 2023 to 2024 at Tennessee’s public colleges and universities, which could be partly due to recent state efforts to provide FAFSA assistance to students across the state.

In addition, Elliot said that enrollment among graduate students increased by 1.3 percent this year, driven by a 7.1 percent increase in graduate student headcounts within the University of Tennessee system. However, she said, first time statewide first-time freshmen enrollment has declined 2.5 percent.  

“Universities grew 1.3 percent and community colleges grew 3.9 percent. The total undergraduate headcount is nearly 192,000 students across the state,” said Elliot. “Notably the University of Memphis and Tennessee State University saw declines in enrollment, partly explained by declines in freshman enrollment.”

One notable exception is the University of Tennessee. President Randy Boyd told business leaders in Nashville earlier this year that the University of Tennessee is enrolling its largest freshman class ever.

Elliot also noted that FAFSA completion rates seem to be improving again, particularly among high school graduates that applied for the Tennessee Promise scholarship. She said that moving forward, state education leaders expect to continue seeing FAFSA completion rates in the “mid-70s” percent ranges.

“The release of the 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) was a bit messy to say the least, so to facilitate student completion of the FAFSA which is key to unlocking state and federal financial aid, THEC and TSAC implemented additional supports this summer funded by a $1 million grant from the federal Department of Education,” she said, adding that she believes this investment helped to maintain completion rates.

For more information on the meeting and other discussions from THEC leaders Thursday, visit www.tn.gov/thec.