HOUGHTON, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Two Upper Peninsula universities are seeing fewer students in classrooms this semester.

On Friday, Michigan Tech said 7,054 students are enrolled for the fall semester. That marks a 4.8% decrease from the 2025–26 academic year, when enrollment topped 7,400 students.

“Unfortunately, we’re seeing this trend nationally: that college student enrollment is dipping a little,” MTU Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Kellie Raffaelli told WLUC. “I think there’s just not as many high school students as there used to be.”

Raffaelli added, “Our response to that is to keep our programs attractive and competitive and maintain our high academic standards to attract the students who want to come here and be successful.”

Northern Michigan University cited similar reasons for its enrollment decline earlier this week. Despite welcoming more than 1,800 new students, NMU’s total fall enrollment fell to 6,961. NMU President Chris Olsen cited changing demographics, a declining college-going rate and increased recruitment by Michigan State University and the University of Michigan as contributing factors.

Olsen said NMU plans to place greater emphasis on its Honors Program and launch an Experience Grant program.

“Students down the road will be able to access some additional grant money to do those high-impact practices outside of the classroom that we know are really important,” Olsen said.