The University of Illinois Springfield saw enrollment decline by 264 students this fall, the second straight year fewer students are attending the school.
Total enrollment at UIS after the first 10 days of classes is 4,364, down from 4,628 last fall.
Officials point to fewer international students which was the bulk of the drop.
UIS enrolled 638 international graduate students this fall, compared to 875 in 2024. Undergraduate international enrollment also fell slightly, with 77 students enrolled this year, down from 82.
“Unfortunately, it was difficult for some of our international students to get visas approved in time,” said Chancellor Janet Gooch.
President Donald Trump’s State Department has made international student visas much harder to get and easier to take away. The administration has slapped travel bans on 19 countries.
Gooch said she is hopeful for policy changes. But admits there is no assurance that will happen.
“I think UIS needs to go forward in ways that are in our control,” she said.
“Unfortunately, it was difficult for some of our international students to get visas approved in time,” said Chancellor Janet Gooch.
The school is talking with some of the prospective international students to see if they can begin taking classes online. The school is also strengthening global partnerships through new exchange agreements with international universities and expanded cultural and academic support for students studying at UIS.
“UIS remains committed to welcoming students from around the world,” said Vickie Cook, UIS vice chancellor for enrollment and retention management.
There were positives announced. The campus said there are 312 first-year students this fall, a 19.1% increase.
Gooch gave credit to UIS academic offerings along with the Prairie Promise, which started over a year ago. It’s a four-year financial aid program for Illinois residents that covers the full cost of tuition and fees for qualifying first-time, first-year undergraduate students.
The number of students enrolled at UIS has fallen from a high of 5,431 in 2014. That’s had an impact on the campus budget. A deficit of $3.4 million in FY 2021 ballooned to $11.5 million in the last year, a $4 million rise.
Financial documents from UIS show some of that increase, $2.6 million, was due to a pre-approved salary and benefit program, along with more spending on items like supplies and capital equipment.
General services saw a $1.8 million increase. Jill Wilberg, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, said that included payments to organizations like Shorelight, which is helping attract international students through UIS Global. The partnership has been touted as helping with long-term enrollment growth.
“Certainly, the more students we have here, the better that fares for the budget,” Gooch said.
The university is also working on an Academic Portfolio Review.
“I think it’s about offering the right programs, thinking about programs that can be consolidated or downscaled as we try to enhance growth in those programs that are very well prescribed to our students,” she said.
Gooch said UIS must stay on top of student needs and meet workplace demands in the community and the state.
Despite the challenges, UIS is moving forward with a $42.5 million Library Commons building. The State of Illinois’ capital construction program is helping fund the three-story facility, which will be located between the Student Union and the Health Sciences Building on the UIS quad. Construction started this summer.
“We have plans. We have priorities. I think we just need to keep focused on those and we’ll be fine,” the Chancellor said.
UIUC and UIC
Overall, the University of Illinois system announced record enrollment of 101,081 students on its three campuses in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield. The total number of students increased by 3.4% from a year ago. In the past decade, system enrollment rose 25.9%.
International student undergraduate enrollments increased by 5.9% throughout the system.
“As the needs of our state grow, the U of I System is proud to continue delivering the world-class education and innovative research that will provide the foundation for our future,” U of I System President Tim Killeen said. “This enrollment milestone is a powerful affirmation of the excellence found at our three universities and the value we deliver for students and their families.
“Our students are the next generation of professionals, engaged citizens and leaders, here in Illinois and around the world. I could not be more proud of our faculty and staff, and their work to make our universities and the entire U of I System the incredible engines for prosperity and progress that they are,” he added.
The Urbana-Champaign campus topped 60,000 students for the first time – with 60, 848 enrolled. Total enrollment at UIC stands at 35,869 students for fall 2025, a5.8% increase.
