The enrollment across the college’s four undergraduate majors has fluctuated over time. Understanding how enrollment in our majors is increasing or decreasing is important to making a variety of decisions in the college, from how we structure our curriculum to what faculty we need to hire.
The total enrollment in the college’s majors (double majors are counted once in each major they declare) has grown 26% over the past 25 years from 926 in 1998 to 1,168 in 2022. Peak enrollment was in 2019 with 1,266 declared majors, while 2005 saw the lowest enrollment at 831.
Except for dips in 2018 and 2021, the college’s total majors have trended upward since 2005.
Advertising and Public Relations
Over the past 25 years, enrollment in the ADPR major has grown 23.9% from 389 in 1998 to 482 in 2022. After a period of enrollment growth stretching from 2007 to 2017, enrollment in ADPR has been trending downward. The major has seen an enrollment decrease of 32.6% since its historical high of 715 in 2017.
Broadcasting
Broadcasting has seen almost continuous enrollment declines over the past 25 years, decreasing 43.3% since 1998. However, in 2022, the college saw the first enrollment increase in broadcasting in 24 years, jumping from 158 in 2021 to 182 in 2022.
Journalism
Journalism’s enrollment has ebbed and flowed over time. Overall, the major has decreased 20.8% since 1998. The major reached a historical high of 281 in 2013. However, the historical low was reached this year, 2022, at 171.
Sports Media and Communication
A major in sports media and communication launched in 2017 and has seen tremendous enrollment growth since that time. Enrollment has grown 593.8%, from 48 in 2017 to 333 in 2022.
The launch of the sports media and communications major, combined with the declines in the college’s other majors, has changed the mix of students the college is serving. Five years ago in 2018, half the college’s student body was enrolled in the advertising and public relations major, while 18% were in broadcasting, 19% in journalism and 14% in sports media and communications. This year, advertising and public relations remains our largest major, but only makes up 41% of our study body, while broadcasting has declined to 16%, journalism has declined to 15% and sports has grown to 29% of our students.
