Despite challenges such as the uncertainty of the state budget and visa status concerns among international students, University of Illinois at Springfield’s 2017 fall census illustrates that 2017’s undergraduate enrollment at the University of Illinois Springfield is similar to that of the year before.

According to UIS’s fall 2017 census, 2,932 students are enrolled in the university’s undergraduate programs — just 27 students fewer than fall 2016’s report of 2,959 students. However, enrollment in online programs has increased since fall 2016, with 1,681 students (34 percent of the university’s total population) currently participating in online degree or certificate programs. This number shows an increase of 16 students over online enrollment for fall 2016.

In contrast, graduate enrollment at UIS is down by 420 students over last year for the fall 2017 semester. The fall 2017 census reflected 2,024 graduate students, compared to 2,469 graduate students in fall 2016. These findings are not surprising to the university’s staff, as explained by chancellor Susan J. Koch. “We were expecting a decline in our graduate student numbers this year. The university had a record number of graduates last year, and concerns from international students regarding whether their visa status could change contributed to the decline, an impact seen widely across the country this year.”

At the time of publication, a total of 4,956 students are enrolled at UIS — a drop from the fall 2016 report of 5,428 students. 72.2 percent of UIS students are from Illinois; 14.7 percent are non-Illinois residents, and 13.1 percent are international students.