WSU Tri-Cities enrollment sees post-pandemic rebound. But it’s not all good news
Washington State University's Tri-Cities campus led five other campuses in growing its share of first-year students.
The Richland campus saw a 16% year-over-year increase of first-year students during its September headcount. This is the second year in a row of favorable freshmen enrollment growth that's driven a post-pandemic rebound at WSU Tri-Cities.
The gain bolsters the campus' total student enrollment, which grew 3%, from 1,441 last fall to 1,489 this fall.
That number peaked in 2017 at 1,937 students, but has since fallen .
WSU Tri-Cities also saw a 2% increase in new transfer students and a 5% increase in overall undergraduate students.
"Two consecutive years of growth in new first-year students shows we have momentum in spite of challenges, like the roll out of a new FAFSA process ," said Chris Riley-Tillman, WSU's provost and executive vice president, in a statement.
"We will continue to capitalize on our strengths as a multi-campus, land grant institution to attract, retain and graduate the next generation of Cougars," he added.
But system-wide, WSU's total enrollment declined by about 3%.
The university operates campuses in Pullman, Spokane, Vancouver, Everett and online.
About 95% of WSU Tri-Cities students are Washington residents, most from the Tri-Cities, and half are students of color, mostly Latino.
The COVID enrollment slump finally let up last year, with enrollment bumps at all three Tri-Cities college campuses: WSU, Columbia Basin College and Heritage University.
The first day of fall instruction began Aug. 19 for WSU students and instructors. Heritage University undergraduates went back Aug. 26.
The fall quarter at Columbia Basin College begins Monday, Sept. 16.
