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2008-11-18 issue:

Enrollment down at colleges, universities

Bluffton University is the only higher education school with an increase.

by Everett J. Thomas

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Total enrollment—as calculated through the “full-time equivalency” (FTE) of students taking classes—in Mennonite Church USA colleges and universities is down 1.7 percent during the current school year compared with the 2007-2008 school year. However, full-time equivalency for student enrollment at the seminaries is up.

According to a preliminary report released by Mennonite Education Agency (MEA) on Nov. 5, only Bluffton (Ohio) University has an increase in both actual number of students enrolled and FTE. Last year Bluffton had a “headcount” of 886 part-time and full-time students, and this year the total is 906.

See the MEA enrollment report for November here.

Bluffton’s undergraduate enrollment is now the largest of the five Mennonite Church USA colleges and universities.

Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS), in Elkhart, Ind., reported that its “headcount” decreased from 169 last year to 146 this year, but more of their students are enrolled full-time. That gives AMBS an increase from 84 FTE last year to 89 FTE this year. 

Bethel College, in North Newton, Kan., saw the largest percentage drop in numbers as its “headcount” enrollment for the current school year is at 500, down from 541 last year.

“The biggest drop came in transfer numbers, down from a record 95 in 2007 to 51 [this year],” said a Bethel College statement released on Oct. 7.  But the school got a boost from a larger incoming class. First year student numbers saw a 10.2 percent increase: This year’s class is 130 compared with last year’s incoming class of 118.

 Enrollment at Hesston (Kan.) College is down seven students from last year’s 432 and its FTE is down five from last year’s 407.

Goshen (Ind.) College and Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Va., each had an FTE decline of  20 from the previous school year. Goshen’s “headcount” fell from 909 to 886. EMU’s “headcount” fell from 896 to 884.

Goshen reported a high retention rate for existing students but has a first-year class of 215 compared with 252 last year. President Jim Brenneman attributed the first-year decline to a drop in the number of Mennonite students—113 this fall compared with 150 last year. He attributed the drop to a larger demographic shift within Mennonite Church USA families. 

“While we are aware of this reality that has been impacting our enrollment for several decades,” Brenneman said in a Sept. 18 release, “we will continue to reach out to Mennonite students as we also extend a wider welcome to the larger community.”

MEA’s report also tracks the number of Mennonite students in higher education schools. The percentage of Mennonite Church USA full-time students in the five colleges and universities increased from 40.8 percent last year to 41.6 percent this year. Goshen has the highest percentage of Mennonite Church USA full-time students with 57.7 percent this year. Bluffton has the lowest with 15.2 percent.

“For the long-term strength and vitality of our church,” said MEA executive director Carlos Romero on Nov. 5, “we need to increase the number of Mennonite students attending our institutions.

“At the same time, we need to understand our schools are part of the missional church that reaches outside our congregations, a wonderful gift to share with the wider world. The context of the conversation needs to focus on serving the church and serving the world—it’s a both/and conversation and not either/or,” Romero said.

Because AMBS is owned by both Mennonite Church Canada and Mennonite Church USA, MEA does not separate seminary enrollments from the two denominations. However, the combined numbers from AMBS and Eastern Mennonite Seminary show a decline in the percentage of their full-time students who come from Mennonite Church Canada and Mennonite Church USA. Last year this Mennonite percentage was 49.1 percent. This year it is 43.2 percent.

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