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SIU-Carbondale Enrollment Down for 9th Year in a Row

Administrators say fall enrollment at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale is down for the ninth year in row, though the freshman class there is the largest in two decades.

About 17,964 students are now enrolled at the school. That's down 883 from a year ago, or nearly 5 percent. But the university says freshmen enrollment reached 2,571. 

That's the most in about 20 years. Meanwhile, undergraduate international enrollment is up by more than 20 percent. The university saw declines in the number of transfer students and those enrolling off-campus and at military locations.

University Chancellor Rita Cheng says the decline reflects the economic pressures on students and families.

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