IL public universities see enrollment surge of nearly 190,000 students in fall 2025

CHICAGO, Ill. (WAND) - Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Board of Higher Education announced Monday that the Prairie State has achieved its highest enrollment at public universities in a decade.

The IBHE's annual "First Look Fall Enrollment" report said almost 190,000 students enrolled during the fall semester of the 2025-26 school year, marking the second straight year of total growth, according to a press release from the Office of the Governor.

Contributions to the rise in enrollment include an increase in first-time, full-time freshmen enrollment and fall-to-fall retention, along with higher rates of transfer students.

Among area universities, the University of Illinois Springfield saw a 20.2% rise in first-time, full-time students.

The release stated that undergraduate enrollment at public universities in fall 2025 increased by 3.8% compared to 2024, with Black student enrollment increasing by 9.7% and Latino student enrollment by 8.3%.

Enrollment of new full-time transfer students at state public universities went up by 6.5% from 2024.

Additionally, Illinois community colleges saw an overall enrollment increase of 3.7%.

"No matter their background, Illinoisans deserve accessible, high-quality education—and high enrollment in our state’s public universities means that more Illinoisans are realizing their full potential," Pritzker said in a statement.

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