An interesting glimpse at campus demographics

Kevin Richert | 03/08/2013

When Rexburg’s BYU-Idaho shed its old name, Ricks College, and its two-year status, enrollment grew rapidly.

And its demographics changed drastically, bucking the national trend.

Nate Sunderlund of the Idaho Falls Post Register has an interesting article on the changes.

Nearly 4,000 students at the Mormon Church-owned university are married, compared to 300 married students in 2001, when BYU-Idaho went from a two-year college to a four-year college.

And here’s an interesting takeaway, especially given the roiling debate over federal spending. Writes Sunderland: “Many of the young families at BYU-Idaho survive through federally subsidized programs such as food stamps, Medicaid, student loans and Pell grants.”

You can read the story at Idahostatesman.com.

Kevin Richert

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 35 years of experience in Idaho journalism. He is a frequent guest on "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public Television and "Idaho Matters" on Boise State Public Radio. He can be reached at [email protected]