Enrollment holding steady at Iowa’s private colleges

Fall enrollment is up at a majority of Iowa’s private colleges and universities. The Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities represents 30 institutions in the state. Association president John Hartung has preliminary enrollment figures from all but two of the schools.He says sixteen of the schools reported an increase, one stayed even and 11 are down. Hartung says some schools that saw declines of only one or two students. Hartung says this follows the recent trend of small up or down shifts in enrollment. He says the economy has a big impact on private school enrollment. Right now that means there are not big increases in students as enrollment increases when students can’t find jobs. Right now there are plenty of good jobs available.Drake University is one of the private schools in the Association that saw an increase in enrollment. The number of students at the Des Moines school increase six-percent — Drake’s largest increase in 10 years.