Undergraduate enrollment captures the total unduplicated number of students who enroll in an undergraduate program offered by one of Kentucky's public colleges or universities in an academic year, either full-time or part-time. Enrollment is a leading indicator, meaning that it provides an early indication of future degree production and educational attainment levels. After declines caused by the global pandemic, enrollment has nearly returned to pre-COVID levels. Enrollment goals for URM students are established as a percentage of the overall student population and not as a numeric value (see pages 36-37, DEI metrics). Low-income enrollment data for fall 2023 is not yet available and will be reported next year.
| INSTITUTION | Fall 2017 | Fall 2018 | Fall 2019 | Fall 2020 Baseline | Fall 2021 | Fall 2022 | Fall 2023 | Fall 2023 Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Kentucky University | ||||||||
| Overall | 14,143 | 13,399 | 12,662 | 12,070 | 11,684 | 12,072 | 12,726 | 12,250 |
| URM* | 1,638 | 1,595 | 1,590 | 1,683 | 1,734 | 1,981 | 2,157 | No Goal |
| Low-Income | 5,529 | 5,168 | 4,817 | 4,533 | 4,412 | 4,587 | NA | |
| Kentucky State University | ||||||||
| Overall | 1,757 | 1,666 | 2,029 | 2,148 | 2,135 | 1,610 | 1,546 | 2,212 |
| URM | 942 | 879 | 1,156 | 1,429 | 1,470 | 1,182 | 1,162 | No Goal |
| Low-Income | 833 | 801 | 876 | 990 | 1,011 | 907 | NA | |
| Morehead State University | ||||||||
| Overall | 9,666 | 9,400 | 8,964 | 8,621 | 8,314 | 8,218 | 8,059 | 8,700 |
| URM | 664 | 729 | 716 | 700 | 735 | 758 | 783 | No Goal |
| Low-Income | 3,132 | 3,024 | 2,832 | 2,802 | 2,554 | 2,358 | NA | |
| Murray State University | ||||||||
| Overall | 8,636 | 8,142 | 8,215 | 7,939 | 7,735 | 7,756 | 8,111 | 8,047 |
| URM | 916 | 881 | 935 | 909 | 851 | 908 | 944 | No Goal |
| Low-Income | 2,605 | 2,522 | 2,514 | 2,435 | 2,380 | 2,380 | NA | |
| Northern Kentucky University | ||||||||
| Overall | 12,572 | 12,158 | 12,058 | 11,672 | 10,988 | 10,940 | 10,069 | 11,854 |
| URM | 1,620 | 1,580 | 1,613 | 1,632 | 1,540 | 1,547 | 1,523 | No Goal |
| Low-Income | 3,770 | 3,414 | 3,239 | 2,907 | 2,796 | 2,516 | NA | |
| Western Kentucky University | ||||||||
| Overall | 17,666 | 17,035 | 15,907 | 15,287 | 14,729 | 14,442 | 14,593 | 15,746 |
| URM | 2,739 | 2,640 | 2,534 | 2,621 | 2,581 | 2,534 | 2,724 | No Goal |
| Low-Income | 5,412 | 4,973 | 4,645 | 4,524 | 4,267 | 4,147 | NA | |
*Underrepresented minoritized students (URM) include Black, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Hispanic or Latinx, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and two or more races. Low-income students are Pell grant recipients during their year of entry.