In 2020, enrollment in Illinois’ public universities have seen an increase of 417 new students. That is a 0.2% increase from 2019, while most states saw decreases. The chair of the Illinois Board of Higher Education, John Atkinson, complimented the resilience of Illinois’s institutions of higher education and their leadership.

It was predicted that University enrollment would drop a whopping 25% nationwide in the summer and fall. Illinois beat those odds and managed to increase its university enrollment.

Not only was university enrollment up overall from 2019, but the state’s student body is becoming increasingly diverse. In fact, Illinois saw Black and Latinx student enrollment grow significantly faster than the national average. The enrollment and diversity in higher education is a highlight of Illinois.

For more information about the steady increase and the diversity of university enrollment in Illinois, click here.