Illinois colleges look to overcome enrollment declines

ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) — Colleges and universities in Illinois are struggling to combat a trend of declining enrollment that's been spurred by low unemployment rates, a shrinking population, unstable funding sources and increased out-of-state competition.

Data show that the state's community colleges and state universities had a decline of nearly 100,000 students from 2008 to 2018, The Rockford Register Star reported.

Chicago State University has seen enrollment drop by 57 percent. Shawnee, Kennedy-King and Rend Lake community colleges all have seen enrollment numbers cut in half.

The bulk of the losses were seen at the community college level, which lost 75,000 students.