University of Missouri enrollment lowest since 2008

University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo.
University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- Enrollment at the University of Missouri continued a decline that began after campus protests in November 2015, with this fall's enrollment the lowest since 2008.

Official numbers released Wednesday show the university attracted 20,870 students this fall, down 12.9 percent since a record set in 2015.

Missouri did slightly better than expected in attracting new freshman but the total of 4,134 is down 546 from last fall and 2,060 fewer than 2015.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reports a statement from the school emphasized an 87 percent student retention rate, the second highest in school history. And the ACT score for the new class averaged 26, higher than both state and national averages.

Every class except seniors is smaller than last year, and international enrollments fell 12.1 percent from 2016.