Enrollment Trends for Missouri Colleges

-31,722

Total Enrollment

-15,750

Men Students

-15,972

Women Students

-32,352

Undergraduate

630

Graduate

Missouri Colleges Enrollment Trends Summary (2015-2025)

  • Overall Population Change:
    • Total Enrollment: 274,044 students were enrolled in Missouri colleges.
    • 10-Year Change: The total student population decreased by -10% compared to a decade ago.
  • Student Level Trends:
    • Undergraduate Growth: Undergraduate enrollment saw a decrease of -14.18% compared to a decade ago.
    • Graduate Growth: Graduate enrollment saw a increase of 0.81% compared to a decade ago.
  • Gender Dynamics:
    • Current Ratio: There are more women students than men, with a ratio of 1.29 women to 1 man.
    • Women Enrollment: Women students total 154,501 and have decreased by -9.37% compared to a decade ago.
    • Men Enrollment: Men students total 119,543 and have decreased by -11.64% compared to a decade ago.
  • Online Education Growth:
    • Online Exclusively: 56,991 students (20.80%) are enrolled exclusively in online programs.
    • Online Growth: The number of students enrolled completely online has seen a dramatic increase of 35% since 2015.

Student Population Changes

The average number of students over the past 11 years is 282,974, and 274,044 students were attending the schools in the academic year 2024-2025.

Of the total students, 73.00% are undergraduate students and 27.00% are graduate students. Over the past 11, the number of undergraduate students decreased by 16,703, and the graduate student enrollment increased by 630.

The women to men ratio is 1.32 to 1, meaning that there are more women students enrolled in Missouri Colleges than men students.

The following table and chart illustrate the changes in student population by gender at Missouri Colleges since 2015.

YearTotalUndergraduateGraduate
TotalMenWomenTotalMenWomen
2014-15305,766228,182101,370126,81277,58433,92343,661
2015-16303,731
-2,035
226,126
-2,056
100,195
-1,175
125,931
-881
77,605
21
34,204
281
43,401
-260
2016-17302,222
-1,509
225,658
-468
99,794
-401
125,864
-67
76,564
-1,041
33,227
-977
43,337
-64
2017-18291,426
-10,796
216,470
-9,188
95,022
-4,772
121,448
-4,416
74,956
-1,608
31,895
-1,332
43,061
-276
2018-19286,549
-4,877
210,667
-5,803
93,037
-1,985
117,630
-3,818
75,882
926
31,927
32
43,955
894
2019-20278,289
-8,260
203,151
-7,516
89,205
-3,832
113,946
-3,684
75,138
-744
31,209
-718
43,929
-26
2020-21265,840
-12,449
191,801
-11,350
82,969
-6,236
108,832
-5,114
74,039
-1,099
30,435
-774
43,604
-325
2021-22261,324
-4,516
187,087
-4,714
80,538
-2,431
106,549
-2,283
74,237
198
31,151
716
43,086
-518
2022-23269,765
8,441
194,507
7,420
83,455
2,917
111,052
4,503
75,258
1,021
32,385
1,234
42,873
-213
2023-24273,754
3,989
194,506
-1
84,114
659
110,392
-660
79,248
3,990
34,603
2,218
44,645
1,772
2024-25274,044
290
195,830
1,324
85,228
1,114
110,602
210
78,214
-1,034
34,315
-288
43,899
-746
Average282,974206,72690,448116,27876,24832,66143,586
Missouri Colleges Student Population Trends Chart

Undergraduate Enrollment Changes

The average number of Undergraduate students over the past 11 years is 206,726. Compared 11 years ago, the number of Undergraduate students decreased by 32,352 from 228,182 to 195,830.

The following table and chart illustrate the changes in Undergraduate enrollment by attending status and gender at Missouri Colleges since 2015.

YearTotalFulltimeParttime
TotalMenWomenTotalMenWomen
2014-15228,182162,13573,41888,71766,04727,95238,095
2015-16226,126162,28373,38788,89663,84326,80837,035
2016-17225,658157,09970,60186,49868,55929,19339,366
2017-18216,470153,70968,58285,12762,76126,44036,321
2018-19210,667148,51166,19482,31762,15626,84335,313
2019-20203,151143,38363,48679,89759,76825,71934,049
2020-21191,801136,88159,62377,25854,92023,34631,574
2021-22187,087130,33156,71973,61256,75623,81932,937
2022-23194,507130,68056,80773,87363,82726,64837,179
2023-24194,506130,64057,28373,35763,86626,83137,035
2024-25195,830131,90758,21573,69263,92327,01336,910
Average206,726206,72664,02980,295206,72626,41935,983
Missouri Colleges Undergraduate Enrollment Trends Chart

Graduate Enrollment Changes

The average number of Graduate students over the past 11 years is 76,248. Compared 11 years ago, the number of Graduate students increased by 630 from 77,584 to 78,214.

The following table and chart illustrate the changes in Graduate enrollment by attending status and gender at Missouri Colleges since 2015.

YearTotalFulltimeParttime
TotalMenWomenTotalMenWomen
2014-1577,58438,07318,64019,43339,51115,28324,228
2015-1677,60539,70419,60120,10337,90114,60323,298
2016-1776,56438,79718,72820,06937,76714,49923,268
2017-1874,95638,02018,01420,00636,93613,88123,055
2018-1975,88238,50118,04820,45337,38113,87923,502
2019-2075,13838,15017,65320,49736,98813,55623,432
2020-2174,03936,90016,77420,12637,13913,66123,478
2021-2274,23739,50918,31121,19834,72812,84021,888
2022-2375,25841,16619,35621,81034,09213,02921,063
2023-2479,24844,70821,39923,30934,54013,20421,336
2024-2578,21442,47419,91522,55935,74014,40021,340
Average76,24876,24818,76720,86976,24813,89422,717
Missouri Colleges Graduate Enrollment Trends Chart

Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity Changes

The percentage of white students is 58.57%. The percentage was 67.48% 10 years ago and Missouri Colleges still has a high percentage of white students. 4.12% of enrolled students is Asian and 8.28% is black students.

The following table and chart illustrate the student population trends by race/ethnicity at Missouri Colleges over the past 11 years (2014-2025).

YearAmerican Indian or Native AmericanAsianBlackHispanicNative Hawaiian or Other Pacific IslanderWhiteTwo or More Races
2014-151,4299,62235,47412,144434206,3337,292
2015-161,3909,59533,72212,805425201,9407,606
2016-171,39110,08333,17913,942472201,6317,854
2017-181,34010,21231,25814,651452195,3408,128
2018-191,30110,48530,63315,321439192,3548,710
2019-201,23910,68828,85915,711447185,3399,223
2020-211,18411,14726,95016,274491178,0819,409
2021-221,11211,37325,02116,450433172,2379,445
2022-231,20911,43923,68617,101437172,45210,022
2023-241,18711,44823,93817,730395170,95010,494
2024-251,26311,93723,98418,269419169,67110,912
Average1,27710,73028,79115,491440186,0309,009
Missouri Colleges Student Population by Race Trends Chart

Distance Learning (Online Courses) Enrollment Changes

56,991 students are enrolled in online degree programs exclusively for the academic year 2024-2025, which is 20% of total students. The number of online students has increased 68.28% since 2013.

The following table and chart illustrate the changes in the online student population by enrolled type at Missouri Colleges from 2012 to 2025.

YearTotal EnrollmentOnline CompletelyEnrolled in Some Online CoursesNot Enrolled in Online Courses
2012-13303,40433,86740,883228,654
2013-14305,82835,28050,106220,442
2014-15305,76642,11752,053211,596
2015-16303,73141,97950,574211,178
2016-17302,22244,08052,146205,996
2017-18291,42645,98351,910193,533
2018-19286,54948,91053,148184,491
2019-20278,28950,20058,393169,696
2020-21265,84073,881106,01785,942
2021-22261,32457,47781,329122,518
2022-23269,76556,32774,653138,785
2023-24273,75457,51277,117139,125
2024-25274,04456,99178,509138,544
Average286,30349,58563,603173,115