Linda Fedrizzi-Williams, Ed.D., President | Central Penn College
Linda Fedrizzi-Williams, Ed.D., President | Central Penn College
All four institutions in the county provided detailed enrollment data at the time.
At least 17,775 people applied to Cumberland County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 11,473 students enrolled in the universities, including 9,981 in undergraduate and 1,492 in graduate programs. Only 3.6% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of white (69.8%) and Black or African American (8.6%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 5,162 students.
U.S. college enrollment has been in a downward trend since peaking at around 18.1 million students in 2010. Recent increases offered some relief, but experts project a steeper decline in 2025.
This decline is likely due to two main factors. First, the pool of young adults is shrinking as birth rates have fallen nearly 23% between 2007 and 2022. Second, the rising cost of higher education, including skyrocketing student loan debt. A 2023 Wall Street Journal report shows that more than half of Americans think a four-year degree is not worth the cost.
Some educational data is based on estimates. Shifting demographics among student populations can sometimes result in gender totals which do not equal 100%.
| Institution | # of Applicants | # of Admitted Students | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania | 6,367 | 5,603 | 5,162 |
| Messiah University | 2,438 | 1,926 | 3,231 |
| Dickinson College | 8,261 | 2,891 | 2,137 |
| Central Penn College | 709 | 241 | 943 |
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