Wisconsin universities report slight enrollment decline

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The University of Wisconsin System on Thursday announced that fall enrollment appears to be only slightly down from last year, with nearly 126,000 students enrolled at the 10 universities that have begun on-campus classes.

The number of students enrolled is a sign that having students return to camps was the right choice, said University of Wisconsin System President Tommy Thompson.

The university system estimates that a total of 165,897 students, including those at three universities that have not yet begun classes, will register for classes this fall. The figures, which are preliminary, suggest that enrollment could be down by roughly 1% compared to last year.

Colleges across the country have struggled to contain virus outbreaks among students who congregate in large groups without masks or social distancing.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee announced on Thursday that it is requiring testing for COVID-19 for all students who live in dorms in an effort to manage infections through early identification.