Oct. 5--The University of Akron is reporting one of the highest enrollment increases in the state this fall.

UA's growth of 5 percent ties with Miami University and is slightly less than the 5.8 percent at the University of Toledo, the highest so far among tax-supported colleges in Ohio.

Universities that are on the quarter system instead of semesters and start classes later in the fall have not yet reported final enrollment. Ohio State, Ohio University, Wright State and the University of Cincinnati are on quarters, although some have reported unofficial figures.

Of those reporting final figures to the Ohio Board of Regents, all but one gained students.

Students tend to go to college when they can't find jobs or go back to school to improve their job prospects when the economy rebounds, administrators say.

In order of increases, Toledo's enrollment grew to 22,336.

"We're bragging about that," spokesman Jon Strunk said.

Next was UA, at 25,942, and Miami, at 21,165; Wright State's unofficial count of 17,662, a 4.4 percent increase; Cleveland State, at 15,123, a 2.8 percent rise; the University of Cincinnati, at 37,167, a 1.7 percent increase; Youngstown State, at 13,712, a 1.6 percent jump; and Kent State, at 34,411, a 1 percent growth rate.

The only university to lose enrollment was Bowling Green. Its count dropped 2 percent, from 20,684 to 20,228.

-----

To see more of the Akron Beacon Journal, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.ohio.com.

Copyright (c) 2008, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.