LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) –  The number of students at Michigan’s public universities has dropped by 45,000 students in the past eleven years, and the trend shows it may get even worse.

That’s the equivalent of the population of cities like Saginaw, Portage, Midland, and East Lansing, which boast populations on par with the number of students not attending one of Michigan’s 15 public universities.

MORE NEWS: Former High School Soccer Ref Faces Assault Charges After Alleged Scuffle with Teen Player

The decrease can also be visualized this way – a 45,000 student drop is enough to empty the campuses at Lake Superior State University, Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan University, U of M-Flint, U of M-Dearborn, and Ferris State.

The decline is partly tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. The state of Michigan saw some of the most stringent lockdowns under Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s rule, where she forced the closure of public schools for months on end in an original three-week effort to “flatten the curve. There are fewer numbers of 18 to 22-year-olds in the state, and even fewer are choosing to enroll in college.

In addition, there appears to be a shift away from the push for students to attend four-year colleges and instead explore other options, like trade schools and truck driving.

A breakdown of the 15 public universities and their data can be viewed here.