EIU enrollment drops almost 4 percent

CHARLESTON, Ill. — Enrollment is down this semester at Eastern Illinois University, and officials speculate the economy may be to blame.

Enrollment at the Charleston school is 11,178 for the fall semester. That’s down from 11,630 a year ago and a drop of almost 4 percent.

Blair Lord is provost and vice president for academic affairs at EIU. Lord said Thursday that the economy is likely forcing some prospective students to spend time at community colleges rather than head straight to a four-year campus. Lord called the drop a concern.

Enrollment at other campuses around the state is mixed. Illinois State has its highest enrollment since the early 1990s while Western Illinois University says its enrollment is down slightly.