MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) – A new analysis shows that declines in students from rural counties are playing a major role in an overall drop in enrollment at Kansas State University.
The Manhattan Mercury analyzed enrollment numbers at the university. They found that total enrollment from Kansas counties considered completely rural fell by more than 27% over the last five years, while enrollment from mostly urban counties dropped by 9.2%.
Enrollment from counties deemed mostly rural fell by 21%. The categories were based on U.S. Census Bureau definitions.
Enrollment at the university’s Manhattan, Salina and Olathe campuses dropped to a 20-year low of 21,719 students this semester.