As the State of Michigan continues to grapple with decreased enrollment in higher education, Eastern Michigan University is responding to the challenge with a strategic plan to address the decline.
For 2009-2010, EMU saw a total annual student enrollment of 28,067, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System reported. By 2023-2024, that number was down to 16,093.
The total enrollment for the fall 2025 semester was 12,176 students, as of Nov. 20, 2025, said Katie Condon, vice president of enrollment management at the university. This fall, year-over-year freshmen enrollment decreased by 18.8% at EMU compared to last fall, dropping from 1,607 to 1,305 as of Nov. 20, 2025, Condon said.
Demographic quest
Addressing the enrollment decline first requires understanding why it is happening. There are a number of determinants behind decreasing enrollment, Condon said. Significantly, a declining birth rate in the United States is a driving factor, pulling down the number of expected high school graduates with it, the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education reported. This is referred to as a demographic quest, Condon said, and may also be described as a demographic cliff…