Lincoln Bucks Trend as Massey's Student Numbers Tumble By Nearly 23%
The NZR looks at Lincoln University's rising tertiary star and the plummeting fortunes of Massey University.
Lincoln University bucked the long-standing trend of declining general and male enrolments, witnessing a surge in student numbers in 2023. In the same breath, Massey University has seen a 26.63 percent decline for males and 21.91 percent for females between 2020 and 2024.
Source: Lincoln University
This article contrasts the fortunes of Lincoln University, the country’s smallest university, and Massey University, which is one of the biggest and well-known for study by correspondence. Please note that all comparisons are made between 2020 and 2024 academic years unless otherwise stated.
As a percentage of the general domestic population, males make up a steadily declining pool (for Massey University). In 2020, they made up 33 percent of the student cohort. Since that year, this proportion has slid to 30.69 this year.
Lincoln University
In terms of age, Lincoln has seen its most significant growth among mature students (aged 24 or older). Seven-hundred and fifty-seven mature female students and 614 mature male counterparts were studying at Lincoln in 2020.
Nestled on the outkskirts of Christchurch, in the satellite township bearing its name, Lincoln University has continued to resurge in the wake of the pandemic.
In 2020, Lincoln had 3,273 students. Since then, the campus has seen year-on-year growth. By 2023, Lincoln had 4,517 students, seeing a dramatic 38-percent lift. This year, its numbers have dropped to 3,980 students (* the number of non-binary student numbers were not disclosed) but with mid-year enrolments still to come, that number could rise.
All disciplines have seen this growth including the core studies of agriculture & commerce, agriculture & life sciences, environment society & design.
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