Enrollment drop bites Evergreen

Enrollment  at The Evergreen State College continues its decline, which since 2009 has plagued the college.   From a high of 5000 students that year, its enrollment has dropped to 3000 in 2019. 

What’s more frightening is the decrease in the number of new freshman entering each year.  In 2016, some 1239 new freshman called Evergreen home.  That dropped to 1159 in 2017, and took a precipitous drop in 2018 with only 764 new freshman enrolled.  While all enrollment isn’t fully counted for this year, it looks like less than 700 will enter in 2019.

All liberal arts college across the country have felt the pressure of fewer and fewer students opting for a liberal education.  In the last quarter century, of the 500 liberal arts colleges in the United States, nearly half of them have closed their doors or merged with other colleges.

The decline in liberal arts enrollment has been gradual as more and more students (and their parents) want a college degree which will give them better job opportunities than a liberal arts degree.  The Great Recession of 2008 had a significant impact on liberal arts enrollment.

Evergreen’s major enrollment gap in 2018 was part of that restructure of educational goals, but was also harmed by the negative publicity it received from its inability to control its student body and educators.

If enrollment continues to drop at Evergreen, it will have to look at closing its doors, or merging with another educational institution.  Washington State University has been showing some interest.

As a measuring stick, enrollment at St. Martin’s University is up 30 percent this coming year over last year.