WINONA, Minn. – Enrollment at Winona State slipped slightly this fall but appears to be leveling off after a worrisome decline over the past decade. The undergraduate headcount for fall classes was 5,272 – off about 1% from a year earlier. The numbers were collected on the 10th day of classes. The enrollment of new degree-seeking students also was relatively steady. The 10th-day data uver three years:
New undergrad students: 1,164, compared to 1,176 in 2022 and 1,098 in 2021.
New transfer students: 408, compared to 374 and 388.
New graduate students: 270, compared to 262 and 273.
Of new undergrads 70% were from Minnesota. From the states: Wisconsin, 24%; Illinois, 2%; and Iowa, 2%. Of transfer students; From Rochester Community and Technical College, 27%; Riverland Community College in Austin, 5%; Minnesota State Southeast in Winona, 5%; Wisconsin Technical College, 5%; and Normandale Community College, 4%.
Different measures
Colleges run numbers differently for different purposes. Headcounts always are higher than full-time equivalents because some students are part-time. A comparison:
Undergrad headcount
2018: 7,231
2019: 6,980
2020: 6,405
2021: 5,764
2022: 5,430
2023: 5,272
Undergrad full-time equivalent
2018: 6,066
2019: 6,408
2020: 5,803
2021: 5,164
2022: 4,869
2023: 4,737
Graduate headcount
2018: 557
2019: 619
2020: 714
2021: 798
2022: 741
2023: 753
Graduate full-time equivalent
2018: 344
2019: 410
2020: 519
2021: 597
2022: 564
2023: 561