85.2% of college applicants to Erie County’s 6 universities were admitted for fall 2022

Erie County’s six universities admitted an estimated 85.2% of applicants for fall 2022, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those who were admitted, 16.3% enrolled.

Of the six institutions in the county, three provided detailed enrollment data at the time, including Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College, Mercyhurst University and Gannon University.

At least 14,666 people applied to Erie County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.

NCES data shows that among them, around 15,554 students enrolled in the universities, including 9,221 in undergraduate and 6,333 in graduate programs. Only 1.8% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.

The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of white (74%) and U.S. nonresident (6.5%) students.

Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, Gannon University stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 4,665 students.

U.S. college enrollment has been in a downward trend since peaking at around 18.1 million students in 2010. Recent increases offered some relief, but experts project a steeper decline in 2025.

This decline is likely due to two main factors. First, the pool of young adults is shrinking as birth rates have fallen nearly 23% between 2007 and 2022. Second, the rising cost of higher education, including skyrocketing student loan debt. A 2023 Wall Street Journal report shows that more than half of Americans think a four-year degree is not worth the cost.

Some educational data is based on estimates. Shifting demographics among student populations can sometimes result in gender totals which do not equal 100%.