West Central Reporter

McDonough County's only university admitted a total of 75% of applicants for fall 2022, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those who were admitted, 16% enrolled.

At least 9,219 people applied to McDonough County college in the 2022-23 school year.

NCES data shows that among them, around 7,643 students enrolled in the university, including 5,309 in undergraduate and 2,334 in graduate programs. In total 8.4% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.

The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of white (56%) and Black or African American (22%) students.

Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, Western Illinois University stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 7,643 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
Western Illinois University	9,219	6,914	7,643