Enrollment up after years of steady decline

Truman State University’s total enrollment has declined from 5,504 students in 2018 to 3,506 in 2025. However, for the first time in over a decade, Truman State University’s total number of undergraduate students has increased by 5%,  instead of the steady decline the university has grown accustomed to. 

The increase in undergraduate enrollment this year can be attributed to a 20% increase in part-time enrollment, with full-time students staying steady, and the number of graduate students decreasing by 12%. 

The current interim Vice President of enrollment, Michael Thorp, is a Higher Education Consultant working from New York for the Senior Enrollment Management Council. Thorp said hiring enrollment has been struggling across America, with a lack of enrollment professionals being one of the causes for dropping enrollment in the US. 

There is no one issue that has led to a decrease in enrollment to point to, said Thorp. There are many different factors that all added up to the slide, but Thorp said it was more of a trend in how the country views education today.

“ [The US] doesn’t value education,”  Thorp said. “The liberal arts degree is being valued less as well.”

Thorp said the increase in trade schools and students going into the workforce were also trends in education that have led to fewer students at the university.

Thorp didn’t think that the University would ever become an institution with 6000 students on a regular basis again, citing historic enrollment data being more in line with Truman’s enrollment numbers today. 2016 was a peak enrollment year for the university.

Freshman business major  Kyle Rainer enjoys the size of the student population, so he interacts with teachers more easily. However Rainer said that having a higher enrollment is good for the University as it would mean higher funds to use back into campus.

“I think [Truman] offers enough in terms of events, I just wish things were more up to date. The railing in Ryle Hall is falling apart, and it’d be nice if they wouldn’t fall part when I’m using them.