Internships, online courses define summer session

Iowa State enrolled 7,375 students in summer session opportunities this year, about 60% of them at the undergraduate level. Just under half (48%) of all summer students are enrolled in online classes only.

According to enrollment data collected by the university registrar's office, the summer student body features 4,666 undergraduates, 2,555 graduate students and the 154 members of the fourth-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine class in their 12-month finale.

Enrollment: summer session 2024

*Includes:

• Experiential learning such as practicum, internship, student teaching or cooperative work
• Independent study and research
• Affiliate program: Courses in programs operated in conjunction with other universities or research laboratories at their sites, but ISU students register for credit through Iowa State

A winter impact on summer

The 2024 summer count is 1,093 (13%) fewer students than last year, nearly all the decline occurring at the undergraduate level and distributed across all six colleges.

Many factors impact summer enrollment, said associate vice president for enrollment management Laura Doering, and the biggest one has become winter enrollment. Iowa State's success at establishing an undergraduate-only winter session -- the fifth one is coming this winter -- gives students another opportunity to get ahead by a few credits -- or perhaps catch up in time for a May graduation. The most recent winter session enrollment was nearly 1,700, and juniors and seniors consistently account for two-thirds or more of winter session students.

Other factors include:

• Students in many degree programs completing not-for-credit internships that are encouraged, though not required. While some students record these high-impact summer experiences through the university's 390 internship course series, hundreds did not.
• The positive impact of initiatives in the last three years to improve the passing-grade rate in gateway courses with high occurrences of D or F grades and withdrawals. That success means fewer students need to retake courses.
• As we move further away from the pandemic summers, increasing -- and more relevant -- opportunities for summer work, and students choosing to earn money rather than attend school.
• Consistency with summer enrollments that have been declining since their 2017 peak.

Iowa State collects the student census on the 10th day (June 21) of the second summer session. The count reflects all registration through that day, so it includes classes that concluded prior to it as well as any that haven't begun yet.