Dr. Robert Nye, President | Finger Lakes Community College
Dr. Robert Nye, President | Finger Lakes Community College
Of the four institutions in the county, two provided detailed enrollment data at the time, including Hobart William Smith Colleges and Marion S Whelan School of Nursing of Geneva General Hospital.
At least 5,085 people applied to Ontario County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 7,045 students enrolled in the universities, including 6,997 in undergraduate and 48 in graduate programs. Only 4.8% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of white (73.5%) and Hispanic (8.1%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, Finger Lakes Community College stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 5,331 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marion S Whelan School of Nursing of Geneva General Hospital | 3 | 2 | 9 |
| Finger Lakes Community College | -- | -- | 5,331 |
| Finger Lakes Health College of Nursing & Health Sciences | -- | -- | 98 |
| Hobart William Smith Colleges | 5,082 | 3,456 | 1,607 |
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