BEMIDJI, Minn. (Oct. 13, 2011) — The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system has released the system’s fall 2011 enrollment numbers, and Bemidji State University’s enrollment as compared to the fall of 2010 is stable.

Bemidji State’s total head-count enrollment for fall 2011 is 5,360, down four students – or 0.1 percent – from a year ago (5,364). Full-year equivalent enrollment is 4,700, down 15 from a year ago (4,715). It is the third consecutive year, and sixth time in the last seven years, BSU’s total enrollment has topped 5,000.

Even with the slight decline, Bemidji State’s 30th-day head-count enrollment is the university’s second-highest since 1991, when enrollment sat at 5,393 students.

Bemidji State’s fall head count includes 4,981 undergraduates and 379 graduate students.

BSU’s enrollment continues to be bolstered by a large freshman class. This year, the University’s head count includes 831 freshman; this represents a 3.8-percent decline from last year’s 864-member freshman class, but still marks BSU’s third consecutive year welcoming more than 800 new freshmen to campus in the fall.

Credit generation, which plays a more critical role in the University’s budget than headcount, is also stable. The 5,360 students currently on campus have enrolled for a total of 65,451 credits, a decrease of just 1.1 percent from last year.

BSU’s enrollment number will fluctuate throughout the fall as students enroll for distance learning options.

System-wide, enrollment at the seven four-year state universities was also flat. Head-count enrollment declined by 250 students to 69,037, a 0.4-percent decline, while full-time equivalent enrollment dipped by 0.9 percent, to 58,331. The system’s two-year colleges saw head-count enrollment fall by 2.1 percent, to 131,679, while full-year equivalent enrollment dipped to 95,760, a 3.4-percent decline.

Bemidji State is announcing enrollment figures on the 30th day of classes this year to coincide with official system-wide enrollment numbers released by the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. Reporting on the 30th day allows sufficient time for students to drop or add courses and to pay tuition.

Head count reflects an unduplicated number of students enrolled in credit-generating courses on campus and through external study areas such as distance learning.