Enrollment at Western Illinois U. Down 67% since 2006
“WIU has made changes to its academic programs amid enrollment and financial pressures.”
How long can a school hold on when it is on a trajectory like this one?
Campus Reform reports:
Western Illinois enrollment down 67% since 2006 as university touts ‘continued momentum’
Western Illinois University (WIU) in Macomb reported 4,447 students for fall 2026, a decline of roughly 67 percent from the 13,602 students enrolled in 2006. The university, however, highlighted improved student retention and described its enrollment trends as showing “continued momentum.”
Total enrollment declined by 890 students from the 5,337 students reported last fall, continuing a broader enrollment decline the university has experienced over the past two decades.
WIU has made changes to its academic programs amid enrollment and financial pressures. In 2019, the university eliminated nine academic programs, and geography and public health studies at the undergraduate level.
The university has also reduced faculty and staff positions amid enrollment and financial pressures. WIU said it began implementing layoffs in summer 2024 and that 57 faculty positions and 32 staff positions had been or would be eliminated by the end of fiscal year 2025.
In WIU’s Continuous Improvement Report for 2019, the university acknowledged that Illinois is the second-largest state in terms of being a “net exporter of students.” The report stated that WIU and other public universities in the state are in “competition” with universities in neighboring states for students.
By comparison, Eastern Illinois University enrollment dropped from 8,107 in 2025 to 7,651 students in 2026.
Illinois State University reported 21,577 students this year, down from 21,994 the previous year. The university previously reported 2.1 percent enrollment growth in 2025 and an increase in student retention in 2026.
WIU reported an increase in freshman retention and application rates, as well as a 13 percent growth among high school applicants with a 3.0 GPA or higher. The university also added the Strategic Recruitment Plan (SRP) to provide a “coordinated framework to strengthen enrollment efforts.”
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Western has never been viewed as a top tier university. Outside of University of Illinois, Illinois’ public universities aren’t notable. Western is also in Macomb, which isn’t a super desirable location. In state tuition isn’t horrible, but you’re still looking at six figures all in (accounting for room and board) over four years before financial aid.
One word: Macomb.
For those of us who don’t speak Illinois…?
There’s no “there”, there. Town of 15,000, county seat, but they roll up the sidewalks after 5:00 kind of place. Keokuk, Iowa will be your nearest hotspot, which isn’t saying much. Much more relevant in the 70’s and 80’s when Iowa’s drinking age was lower than Illinois. The Friday Amtrak trains back to Chicago are usually pretty popular. That part of Illinois was once known as “Forgottonia”.
A high school with 4,500 students would be one of the largest in America. A public university with 4,500 students is a different story. Universities carry enormous fixed costs for faculty, administration, facilities, utilities, maintenance, and student services. Those costs become increasingly difficult to justify when enrollment shrinks.
If a university’s enrollment has collapsed while the campus footprint remains largely unchanged, taxpayers end up subsidizing underused buildings and excess capacity. Rather than pouring additional money into a declining institution, Illinois should consider whether students could be served more efficiently by other state universities. Governor Pritzker should seriously examine consolidation or closure if long-term enrollment trends show little prospect of recovery.
Illinois already has experience with the costs of maintaining underutilized facilities. Chicago Public Schools has struggled for years with excess building capacity, requiring taxpayers to support the maintenance, heating, cooling, and administration of buildings that are not fully utilized. Critics argue that the reluctance of state and local political leaders to address excess capacity has resulted in unnecessary spending and delayed difficult but necessary reforms.
The same principle applies to higher education. When enrollment falls dramatically but the physical infrastructure remains in place, taxpayers are often asked to fund empty classrooms, underused buildings, and administrative overhead. If a university cannot attract sufficient students to justify its costs, state leaders should prioritize efficiency and student outcomes over preserving institutions for political reasons. Continuing to subsidize excess capacity risks repeating the same management mistakes that have burdened other Illinois public institutions.
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