For the past decade and a half, fewer students have chosen to attend four-year universities. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, colleges and universities saw a 15% decline in enrollment between 2010 and 2021 (the most recently available years of data).
Schools in the Inland Northwest are not immune to the trend. In fall 2025, both Washington State University and Eastern Washington University recorded the lowest enrollment each school has seen in more than a decade.
On the flip side, more students have chosen to go into the trades. Data from the U.S. Department of Labor shows that more people are choosing trade schools and apprenticeships…