The number of students at Xavier University is falling. This semester, the university posted its lowest total enrollment in years. Recently released data shows that 673 freshmen enrolled at Xavier this fall, leaving the school with a total enrollment of less than 5,000 students in all of its undergraduate and graduate programs.
In 2011, the university's total enrollment was 6,945. Since then, enrollment has dropped by nearly 2,000 students.
The drop comes as Xavier's administration attempts to work through a multi-million dollar budget deficit. The university says its deficit reached $16 million in the 2023 fiscal year, and the school has been dipping into its financial reserves to stay afloat. The financial struggles could also lead to layoffs, though Xavier says it has not yet determined if layoffs will be necessary.
Since then, the university's administration has launched a plan to change its operations and academic offerings in an attempt to grow enrollment and its revenue.
Xavier began its academic expansion this fall, which it's calling its largest offering of new programs in its history, adding eight new undergraduate degree programs this semester to attract more students to campus.
In total, XU plans to introduce nearly 30 new undergraduate majors, minors, and certificates in the coming years, many of which focus on areas related to artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and health science.
In addition, the university is adding three new graduate degrees in business analytics, teaching English, and psychiatric mental health nursing, along with 12 new graduate certificates.
The new additions lean into the university's most popular areas of study. Most Xavier undergraduate students are enrolled in the College of Arts & Sciences, followed by teaching and health care programs.
The university is also planning to open its College of Osteopathic Medicine by the fall of 2027, which administrators say will eventually enroll around 600 students.
"The growth outlook is very positive for sure, as we have launched all of these new programs," Xavier President Colleen Hanycz told WVXU. "We will open the doors on a medical school that will immediately have way more students who are eligible, talented, and qualified."
As part of its effort to rebound, Xavier announced Thursday night the start of its "For One. For All. Forever" campaign to raise $500 million to support its endowment, athletics programs, and the College of Osteopathic Medicine.
In addition, President Hanycz announced a new scholarship program for local high school students. The program will guarantee admission to students in the Greater Cincinnati Area with a GPA of 3.5 or higher, and award each of them an annual scholarship of at least $30,000 if they attend Xavier.
Annual tuition at Xavier is more than $52,000 for undergraduate students, far exceeding rates at other nearby institutions like the University of Cincinnati, where yearly tuition is just over $14,000 for Ohio residents and students from nearby communities in Kentucky and Indiana.
Hanycz says that altogether, these changes will move Xavier to a more comfortable place in time.
"What we have right now is a passing transitory deficit," she said. "We are just retooling, and sometimes that takes a minute to take traction on that. And that's all we're living through right now."
READ MORE:
