Fall Enrollment Rises to 7,702, a Second Straight Year of Growth

UW–Porter Falls enrolled 7,702 students this fall, according to census-day figures released by the Registrar’s Office, up 183 students, or 2.4 percent, from 7,519 a year ago. It is the second straight year of growth after enrollment bottomed out at 7,388 in fall 2022.

Census day is the tenth day of classes, after the add/drop period closes, and it is the count the university reports to the UW System and the federal government. Numbers announced before that date tend to be optimistic.

Nursing accounted for 28 of the new students on its own, after the program expanded its fall cohort to 100 seats. Transfer enrollment rose 7 percent, most of it from the nine Wesconsin technical and two-year colleges that have guaranteed-transfer agreements with Porter; details are on the transfer pages. Cybersecurity enrolled 71 new students, about even with last year.

Retention also improved. Eighty-one percent of last fall’s first-year students came back for a second year, up from 78 percent, which the university attributes partly to the early-alert advising system adopted under the strategic plan.

“We did not do anything flashy. We answered the phone, we gave decisions in two weeks, and we added seats in programs where students were already lining up. It turns out that works.”

— Trudy Solberg, Director of Admissions

The share of students from outside Wesconsin rose slightly, to 14 percent, most of them from neighboring states under tuition reciprocity. International enrollment held steady at 212 students from 31 countries.

Residence halls opened at 94 percent of capacity, with no temporary triples. Housing staff expect the halls to be fuller next year if the trend holds.

The full census report, with breakdowns by college, residency and program, will be posted with the university’s quick facts in October.

Contact: Office of University Communications, news@uwporterfalls.edu