David Vaden President and CEO | Bryant & Stratton College-Bayshore
David Vaden President and CEO | Bryant & Stratton College-Bayshore
Of the 20 institutions in the county, nine provided detailed enrollment data at the time, including University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee Career College and Marquette University.
At least 42,824 people applied to Milwaukee County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 55,842 students enrolled in the universities, including 46,348 in undergraduate and 9,494 in graduate programs. In total 5.6% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of white (55.4%) and Hispanic (15.8%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 22,676 students.
U.S. college enrollment has been in a downward trend since peaking at around 18.1 million students in 2010. Recent increases offered some relief, but experts project a steeper decline in 2025.
This decline is likely due to two main factors. First, the pool of young adults is shrinking as birth rates have fallen nearly 23% between 2007 and 2022. Second, the rising cost of higher education, including skyrocketing student loan debt. A 2023 Wall Street Journal report shows that more than half of Americans think a four-year degree is not worth the cost.
NCES shows that enrollment data was not available for five institutions in Milwaukee County, including East-West Healing Arts Institute - Milwaukee, Bryant & Stratton College-Bayshore and Wisconsin School of Professional Psychology.
Some educational data is based on estimates. Shifting demographics among student populations can sometimes result in gender totals which do not equal 100%.
| Institution | # of Applicants | # of Admitted Students | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Area Technical College | -- | -- | 12,211 |
| Milwaukee Career College | 86 | 50 | 61 |
| Marquette University | 15,883 | 13,818 | 11,167 |
| Medical College of Wisconsin | -- | -- | -- |
| Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design | 1,052 | 673 | 896 |
| Mount Mary University | 1,339 | 924 | 1,198 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Milwaukee | -- | -- | 108 |
| Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology | -- | -- | -- |
| Milwaukee School of Engineering | 5,478 | 3,451 | 2,729 |
| Empire Beauty School-Milwaukee | -- | -- | 116 |
| Alverno College | 652 | 587 | 1,596 |
| Bryant & Stratton College-Bayshore | -- | -- | -- |
| Wisconsin Lutheran College | 1,474 | 1,386 | 1,086 |
| Wisconsin School of Professional Psychology | -- | -- | -- |
| Bryant & Stratton College-Wauwatosa | -- | -- | 1,043 |
| The Institute of Beauty and Wellness | -- | -- | 230 |
| VICI Beauty School | -- | -- | 113 |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Flex | 8 | 3 | 612 |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | 16,852 | 14,493 | 22,676 |
| East-West Healing Arts Institute - Milwaukee | -- | -- | -- |
ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS STORY
!RECEIVE ALERTS
DONATE
Alerts Sign-up