Enrollment numbers down at WVU amid $45M budget deficit, cuts

MORGANTOWN, W.Va (WDTV) - Student enrollment numbers at West Virginia University for the fall semester are down compared to last year.

In Friday’s Board of Governors meeting, the preliminary headcount shows overall enrollment for this semester to be 25,384, 23,431 of whom are in Morgantown.

That would make total enrollment 711 less than last year, but it is 284 over budget.

The number of freshman enrolled this semester at WVU are also down compared to last year.

Officials say there are 4,385 freshmen in Morgantown, which is 270 less than last year and 115 under budget.

This comes amid WVU’s Academic Transformation that aims to lighten the blow of a $45 million budget deficit by cutting hundreds of faculty jobs and dozens of programs, which was approved by the BOG in Friday’s meeting.

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About the cuts, President Gordon Gee said it’s been a difficult process that will affect people he knows and respects.

“We plan on squeezing the $45-million out almost immediately -- it depends a bit on enrollment and a variety of other things, but we plan on having this behind us,” said Gee.

Below is a full breakdown of fall enrollment numbers at WVU:

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