Slight enrollment dip seen at Utah public schools for 2024-2025

While enrollment at Utah’s degree-granting public colleges and universities is on the rise, student headcounts in the state’s public education system for the 2024-2025 revealed a slight decrease.

According to data released Friday by the Utah State Board of Education , student enrollment “decreased by 4,873 records — or 0.7% from last year.”

While the total number of students enrolled in districts dipped, the total number of students enrolled in charter schools increased from last year.

The slight enrollment drops were not felt statewide. Some districts — including the Alpine District whose boundaries include several burgeoning Utah County cities — are showing a slight increase in total kindergarten-through-12th-grade enrollment.

Others such as Davis School District recorded minor decreases.

“This variation suggests that population shifts and individual district factors may play a role in overall enrollment trends,” Friday’s release noted.

Notably, there are identifiable enrollment shifts across grade populations.

A study of 12-year trends reveals that enrollment headcounts in elementary grades have generally decreased. Meanwhile, student headcounts in secondary grades have risen.

“It is worth noting that enrollment in grades K-2 decreased and grades 3-6 increased only slightly,” noted the board of education release. “The percent of 12th grade enrollments is much higher than in 2014. The opposite effect is seen in kindergarten enrollments in those same years.”

Since 2014, students classified as English learners, students with disabilities, multiple-race and Hispanic all increased most years. Between 2014 and 2019, Utah students reported as economically disadvantaged averaged 34% of the state’s total population.

However, after the COVID-19 pandemic, the percentage dropped to an average of 29%, according to the release.

“Effective resource allocation and policy development at the Utah State Board of Education are contingent upon robust enrollment data collection that undergo rigorous quality control checks and analysis,” said Director of Data and Statistics Aaron Brough.

“This data provides insights into student demographics, needs and trends, enabling the board to make informed funding allocation decisions that promote the success of Utah’s students,” said Brough.

Additional data can be found on the Utah State Board of Education website at https://www.schools.utah.gov/datastatistics/reports .

Rising headcounts at Utah higher ed schools

Friday’s report is a variation of Tuesday’s enrollment report from the Utah System of Higher Education that showed enrollment at Utah’s degree-granting public colleges and universities rose 4.32% compared to last year.

According to the report, 207,005 students are matriculated at such public schools, compared to 198,432 in 2023. USHE’s fall enrollment headcount is measured at the third week of the fall semester.

Notable enrollment college enrollment boosts included Utah Valley University. The Orem institution continues to be the most popular destination for college-bound Utahns. A record number of 46,809 students are enrolled for the 2024 fall semester — an almost 5% jump from the fall of 2023.

The Beehive State’s largest enrollment spike at a public higher education institution — 7.09% — was recorded at Ogden’s Weber State University.

For the fourth consecutive year, Weber State welcomed its largest-ever student body in September. More than 32,400 students matriculated at the Ogden public university for the 2024 fall semester.

Utah’s flagship university, the University of Utah, experienced a 4.7% enrollment increase in 2024. Utah State University and Southern Utah University enrollment increased 2.98% and 2.73% percent, respectively.

The Beehive State’s largest community college, Salt Lake Community College, reported a 2.51% enrollment growth from last year. Snow College’s enrollment numbers rose 1.29% in 2024.