Memorial University is either on par or doing better than other Atlantic Canadian universities in an early survey of fall enrolment numbers by the Association of Atlantic Universities.
The association says the stats reflect the uncertainty that continues to grip students wishing to pursue higher learning in the midst of the global pandemic.
That said, MUN enrolment for full and part-time students has surpassed 19,000 for just the second time in its history, up by 3.5 per cent over last year compared to 1.6 per cent elsewhere in the region.
The most significant jump involves part-time enrolment, up a whopping 18 per cent at MUN and almost 20 per cent for the region, which the universities association chalks up to students’ hesitance to go full-time given the uncertainty around travel and virtual learning.
The most significant drop-off was, as expected, for transfer students, given the temporary closure of visa processing offices worldwide. MUN was down 12 per cent on that front compared to 13.5 per cent for the region.
But the most worrisome decline is among full-time first-year students, down 3.7 per cent at MUN versus 10.5 per cent for the region.
The association warned that will have a significant impact on enrolment and even the ability for some institutions to stay afloat over the next three to four years.
