The University of Illinois Springfield saw enrollment drop from a year ago, but there was some positive news.
The fall semester count stands at 4,008 students, compared with 4,364 in fall 2025, a decline of 356 students.
Campus officials said the result was due to fewer international graduate students enrolled. UIS also saw the number of international students go down in 2025 after the Trump Administration implemented stricter visa guidelines.
It's difficult for students to get visas and we didn't have as many applications in the international student population as we have had historically," said Chancellor Janet Gooch.
Total international student enrollment this fall is 341. Among those, 269 are graduate students and 72 are undergraduates. Just two years ago, there were 957 international students enrolled at UIS.
“We’re responding to these challenges by expanding our international partnerships and diversifying where in the world we recruit,” said David Meredith, UIS vice chancellor for enrollment and retention management. “By building relationships in more countries, we can broaden our reach and create a more diverse international student population.”
Total international student enrollment this fall is 341. Among those, 269 are graduate students and 72 are undergraduates. Just two years ago, there were 957 international students enrolled at UIS.
The university has a freshman class of 353 students for fall 2026, a 13.1% increase from last fall and second only to the record 373 freshmen enrolled in fall 2019. Incoming transfer enrollment also increased 2.6%, from 420 students last fall to 431 this fall.
The growth among new students helped increase UIS undergraduate enrollment to 2,359 students, up from 2,337 last fall.
“The growth we’re seeing in new undergraduate enrollment reflects the high-quality, personalized educational experience UIS provides,” said Janet L. Gooch, UIS chancellor. “Students connect with their professors, become involved on campus and prepare for successful futures, while financial aid and scholarships help make that experience accessible and affordable.”
UIS also offers financial help through programs like Prairie Promise. The financial aid package is for families earning less than $75,000 annually. Students are able to use a combination of state and federal aid to attend and get free tuition and fees.
"It's a really unique opportunity and helps us increase accessibility and affordability," Gooch said.
UIS offers in-state tuition to students from select counties in Missouri, Iowa and Indiana, making a UIS education more affordable for students throughout the region.
UIS leaders said incoming freshman class also reflects growing diversity at UIS. The number of first-generation freshmen increased 5.4% from last fall. Hispanic freshman enrollment increased 59%, Asian freshman enrollment grew 36.4% and the number of freshmen identifying with two or more races more than doubled. Across the undergraduate population, Black enrollment also increased 6.6%.
UIS has seen enrollment fall from a high of 5,431 in 2014. That has resulted in a budget deficit. The school has enacted several approaches to rein in spending, including a voluntary separation plan for employees in recent years. Gooch does not expect that to be offered this school year.
"We need to be as efficient and economical as possible But we also need to recruit more students and retain them as well. We've added extra efforts to make sure students are supported and graduate with their degree," she added.
The focus has also been on trying to attract students by expanding academic opportunities and reaching more students throughout the region.
UIS is preparing to launch a new bachelor’s degree in applied engineering in fall 2027.
Record enrollment at UIUC and UIC
At the flagship Urbana-Champaign campus, freshman enrollment increased to 9,332, compared to 9,207 last year, which brought total student enrollment — undergraduate, graduate and online students — to 61,060 students, eclipsing the 61,000-mark for the first time in university history.
The University of Illinois Chicago has also reached the highest enrollment in its history for the second straight year, with more than 37,000 students for the 2026 fall semester. It also marks a third straight year of growth.
Official enrollment figures from UIC show total enrollment increased by 3.7%, or 1,330 students, from 35,869 in fall 2025 to 37,199 this fall.
The U of I system has more than 102,000 students overall for the first time.
“This record enrollment reflects more than growing demand for an Illinois education. It reflects growing confidence in Illinois itself,” U of I System President Tim Killeen said. “Every additional student who chooses one of our universities represents new talent, new ideas and new possibilities for the state’s future workforce, economy and communities. Our responsibility is not only to educate these students, but to ensure Illinois remains a place where they can build careers, start companies, solve problems and contribute to the state’s long-term prosperity.”
