Michigan Universities Hit by Enrollment Cliff Amid Birth Rate Drop

Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti has seen its total enrollment plummet from 28,067 students in 2009-2010 to just 12,176 this fall 2025, according to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and university data released Nov. 20, 2025.[1] Freshmen enrollment specifically fell 18.8% year-over-year, dropping from 1,607 to 1,305 students, said Katie Condon, EMU's vice president of enrollment management.[1] This mirrors a statewide crisis: Michigan higher education enrollment shrank from 945,354 students in 2009-2010 to 608,170 in 2023-2024.[1] Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant anticipates a fall 2025 enrollment dip of about 225 students, plus or minus 80, following a 2.3% summer decline from 2024, Vice President Jennifer DeHaemers told the Board of Trustees in June 2025.[2] The university also expects only 200-225 new international students, down amid broader recruitment challenges.[2] Grand Valley State University in Allendale faces a similar 'enrollment cliff,' with Michigan logging the nation's sixth-largest high school graduate drop in 2025 and the Midwest's second-worst.[3] Experts point to Michigan's declining birth rates and high school graduate population as primary culprits, leaving fewer prospects for college admissions, Condon noted.[1] In response, EMU approved a five-year strategic enrollment management plan in October 2025, crafted via 150 campus listening sessions, targeting goals through 2031.[1] Meanwhile, 1,721 EMU students received Michigan Achievement Scholarship funding as of August 2025, offering some relief amid economic strains on families.[1]