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.
| Year | Total | Undergraduate | Graduate |
|---|
| Total | Men | Women | Total | Men | Women |
| 2014-15 | 305,766 | 228,182 | 101,370 | 126,812 | 77,584 | 33,923 | 43,661 |
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| 2015-16 | 303,731 -2,035 | 226,126 -2,056 | 100,195 -1,175 | 125,931 -881 | 77,605 21 | 34,204 281 | 43,401 -260 |
|---|
| 2016-17 | 302,222 -1,509 | 225,658 -468 | 99,794 -401 | 125,864 -67 | 76,564 -1,041 | 33,227 -977 | 43,337 -64 |
|---|
| 2017-18 | 291,426 -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 |
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| 2018-19 | 286,549 -4,877 | 210,667 -5,803 | 93,037 -1,985 | 117,630 -3,818 | 75,882 926 | 31,927 32 | 43,955 894 |
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| 2019-20 | 278,289 -8,260 | 203,151 -7,516 | 89,205 -3,832 | 113,946 -3,684 | 75,138 -744 | 31,209 -718 | 43,929 -26 |
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| 2020-21 | 265,840 -12,449 | 191,801 -11,350 | 82,969 -6,236 | 108,832 -5,114 | 74,039 -1,099 | 30,435 -774 | 43,604 -325 |
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| 2021-22 | 261,324 -4,516 | 187,087 -4,714 | 80,538 -2,431 | 106,549 -2,283 | 74,237 198 | 31,151 716 | 43,086 -518 |
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| 2022-23 | 269,765 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 |
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| 2023-24 | 273,754 3,989 | 194,506 -1 | 84,114 659 | 110,392 -660 | 79,248 3,990 | 34,603 2,218 | 44,645 1,772 |
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| 2024-25 | 274,044 290 | 195,830 1,324 | 85,228 1,114 | 110,602 210 | 78,214 -1,034 | 34,315 -288 | 43,899 -746 |
|---|
| Average | 282,974 | 206,726 | 90,448 | 116,278 | 76,248 | 32,661 | 43,586 |
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.
| Year | Total | Fulltime | Parttime |
|---|
| Total | Men | Women | Total | Men | Women |
| 2014-15 | 228,182 | 162,135 | 73,418 | 88,717 | 66,047 | 27,952 | 38,095 |
|---|
| 2015-16 | 226,126 | 162,283 | 73,387 | 88,896 | 63,843 | 26,808 | 37,035 |
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| 2016-17 | 225,658 | 157,099 | 70,601 | 86,498 | 68,559 | 29,193 | 39,366 |
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| 2017-18 | 216,470 | 153,709 | 68,582 | 85,127 | 62,761 | 26,440 | 36,321 |
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| 2018-19 | 210,667 | 148,511 | 66,194 | 82,317 | 62,156 | 26,843 | 35,313 |
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| 2019-20 | 203,151 | 143,383 | 63,486 | 79,897 | 59,768 | 25,719 | 34,049 |
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| 2020-21 | 191,801 | 136,881 | 59,623 | 77,258 | 54,920 | 23,346 | 31,574 |
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| 2021-22 | 187,087 | 130,331 | 56,719 | 73,612 | 56,756 | 23,819 | 32,937 |
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| 2022-23 | 194,507 | 130,680 | 56,807 | 73,873 | 63,827 | 26,648 | 37,179 |
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| 2023-24 | 194,506 | 130,640 | 57,283 | 73,357 | 63,866 | 26,831 | 37,035 |
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| 2024-25 | 195,830 | 131,907 | 58,215 | 73,692 | 63,923 | 27,013 | 36,910 |
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| Average | 206,726 | 206,726 | 64,029 | 80,295 | 206,726 | 26,419 | 35,983 |
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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.
| Year | Total | Fulltime | Parttime |
|---|
| Total | Men | Women | Total | Men | Women |
| 2014-15 | 77,584 | 38,073 | 18,640 | 19,433 | 39,511 | 15,283 | 24,228 |
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| 2015-16 | 77,605 | 39,704 | 19,601 | 20,103 | 37,901 | 14,603 | 23,298 |
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| 2016-17 | 76,564 | 38,797 | 18,728 | 20,069 | 37,767 | 14,499 | 23,268 |
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| 2017-18 | 74,956 | 38,020 | 18,014 | 20,006 | 36,936 | 13,881 | 23,055 |
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| 2018-19 | 75,882 | 38,501 | 18,048 | 20,453 | 37,381 | 13,879 | 23,502 |
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| 2019-20 | 75,138 | 38,150 | 17,653 | 20,497 | 36,988 | 13,556 | 23,432 |
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| 2020-21 | 74,039 | 36,900 | 16,774 | 20,126 | 37,139 | 13,661 | 23,478 |
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| 2021-22 | 74,237 | 39,509 | 18,311 | 21,198 | 34,728 | 12,840 | 21,888 |
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| 2022-23 | 75,258 | 41,166 | 19,356 | 21,810 | 34,092 | 13,029 | 21,063 |
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| 2023-24 | 79,248 | 44,708 | 21,399 | 23,309 | 34,540 | 13,204 | 21,336 |
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| 2024-25 | 78,214 | 42,474 | 19,915 | 22,559 | 35,740 | 14,400 | 21,340 |
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| Average | 76,248 | 76,248 | 18,767 | 20,869 | 76,248 | 13,894 | 22,717 |
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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).
| Year | American Indian or Native American | Asian | Black | Hispanic | Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | White | Two or More Races |
|---|
| 2014-15 | 1,429 | 9,622 | 35,474 | 12,144 | 434 | 206,333 | 7,292 |
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| 2015-16 | 1,390 | 9,595 | 33,722 | 12,805 | 425 | 201,940 | 7,606 |
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| 2016-17 | 1,391 | 10,083 | 33,179 | 13,942 | 472 | 201,631 | 7,854 |
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| 2017-18 | 1,340 | 10,212 | 31,258 | 14,651 | 452 | 195,340 | 8,128 |
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| 2018-19 | 1,301 | 10,485 | 30,633 | 15,321 | 439 | 192,354 | 8,710 |
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| 2019-20 | 1,239 | 10,688 | 28,859 | 15,711 | 447 | 185,339 | 9,223 |
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| 2020-21 | 1,184 | 11,147 | 26,950 | 16,274 | 491 | 178,081 | 9,409 |
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| 2021-22 | 1,112 | 11,373 | 25,021 | 16,450 | 433 | 172,237 | 9,445 |
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| 2022-23 | 1,209 | 11,439 | 23,686 | 17,101 | 437 | 172,452 | 10,022 |
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| 2023-24 | 1,187 | 11,448 | 23,938 | 17,730 | 395 | 170,950 | 10,494 |
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| 2024-25 | 1,263 | 11,937 | 23,984 | 18,269 | 419 | 169,671 | 10,912 |
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| Average | 1,277 | 10,730 | 28,791 | 15,491 | 440 | 186,030 | 9,009 |
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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.
| Year | Total Enrollment | Online Completely | Enrolled in Some Online Courses | Not Enrolled in Online Courses |
| 2012-13 | 303,404 | 33,867 | 40,883 | 228,654 |
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| 2013-14 | 305,828 | 35,280 | 50,106 | 220,442 |
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| 2014-15 | 305,766 | 42,117 | 52,053 | 211,596 |
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| 2015-16 | 303,731 | 41,979 | 50,574 | 211,178 |
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| 2016-17 | 302,222 | 44,080 | 52,146 | 205,996 |
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| 2017-18 | 291,426 | 45,983 | 51,910 | 193,533 |
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| 2018-19 | 286,549 | 48,910 | 53,148 | 184,491 |
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| 2019-20 | 278,289 | 50,200 | 58,393 | 169,696 |
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| 2020-21 | 265,840 | 73,881 | 106,017 | 85,942 |
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| 2021-22 | 261,324 | 57,477 | 81,329 | 122,518 |
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| 2022-23 | 269,765 | 56,327 | 74,653 | 138,785 |
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| 2023-24 | 273,754 | 57,512 | 77,117 | 139,125 |
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| 2024-25 | 274,044 | 56,991 | 78,509 | 138,544 |
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| Average | 286,303 | 49,585 | 63,603 | 173,115 |
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