Enrollment Trends in Schools of Public Affairs and Administration: A Search for Winners and Losers

Abstract

ity (1983-89). Using adjusted enrollment data, James Conant examines several often-mentionedfactors (type of university, public orprivate; geographic region; type ofprogram; enrollment size) and finds mixed results, with different patterns emergingfor different schools depending on the period and variable under consideration. The research does point to special problems for programs located in private universities, as well as more general concerns for the future that should be addressed by allpublic affairs and administration programs. The Directory (1990) of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) contains data on graduate (masters level) enrollments in public administration from academic year 1972-73 through 1988-89. A review of the data shows three distinct periods or trends in masters level enrollments over the past two decades: rapid growth between 1972-73 and 1978-79, sharp decline between 1978-79 and 198283, and relative stability between 1982-83 and 1988-89 (Table 1). The NASPAA data show that during the period of enrollment decline, graduate enrollments in member and nonmember schools of public affairs and administration plummeted 25 percent, from 28,191 to 21,138. The data also show that between 1982-83 and 1988-89 enrollments recovered somewhat, moving gradually upward from 21,138 to 23,416.