Bemidji State University has encountered a 4.6 decrease in total enrollment since fall 2018. That’s including both undergraduate and graduate students.

BSU’s current headcount is 4,898 students. Undergraduate students make up 4,504 and the remaining number are graduate students. The total represents a decline of approximately 4.7 percent in undergraduate enrollment and 3.7 percent in graduate enrollment.

However, last year’s headcount was 5,126, a decline by 238 students for fall 2019.

Bemidji State University conducts an official fall enrollment count on the 30th day of classes to coincide with official Minnesota State system-level enrollment data. Reporting on the 30th day allows sufficient time for students to drop and/or add courses. This offers a clear understanding of the institution’s enrollment.

Enrollment growth remains an important part of Bemidji State’s long-term plans and a number of recent investments have been made to help the university pursue its goals. In the last year, BSU has added new positions with specific roles in student recruitment as part of its five-year Strategic Plan. These positions include an out-of-state recruitment specialist, in the Office of Admissions and a recruiting and outreach specialist in the American Indian Resource Center. The University has also reorganized its International Program Center, adding a new director with specific international recruitment responsibilities.

Michelle Frenzel, Executive Director of Enrollment Management, stated “We’re still in the early stages of these new initiatives, and are expecting to see their efforts begin to positively impact our enrollment beginning as early as Fall 2020.”

By — Destiny Wiggins