Regional public universities and colleges, though vital in driving access and upward mobility, are in some sense “invisible” in higher ed policy discussions, a new report asserts. Because there is not even an official list identifying or defining these institutions, there is a lack of data and research supporting the schools (also known as RPUs), say the authors of “Identifying, Defining, and Supporting Regional Public Universities and Colleges” by the Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges at Appalachian State University.
“As a result, sector-wide quantitative data and research are nearly nonexistent, and RPUs and their students experience ongoing invisibility in scholarly and policy discussions,” the authors wrote, adding some key stats about the schools. For instance, more than two-thirds of students at regional public universities and colleges are Pell grant recipients while RPUs also educate:
- 47% of bachelor’s degree-seeking students at four-year public institutions.
- 58% of Black students
- 47% of American Indian or Alaska Native students
- 35% of Asian American students
- 39% of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students
- 44% of Hispanic or Latino students
- 44% of multiracial students
RPUs also tend to be more affordable, with an average $8,896 in annual tuition and fees compared with $12,325 for non-RPUs.
More numbers: Regional public universities and colleges
The new analysis identified 474 RPUs that enroll 3.8 million full-time students and about 1.3 million part-timers, with an average enrollment of 10,987. RPUs exist in every state (except Wyoming) and in several U.S. territories.
The report aims to help leaders of regional public universities and colleges identify their counterparts at other RPUs to collaborate around best practices and other strategies. National associations—such as the American Association of State Colleges and Universities—can use the list to inform lobbying and advocacy efforts on behalf of RPUs.
About 30% of these schools qualify as minority-serving institutions and nearly half are rural-serving while the counties that RPUs serve have higher needs—such as low education, low employment, and persistent poverty—compared to counties served by other institutions.
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Regional public universities and colleges also receive $1,091 less per full-time student in state appropriations though those funds represent a larger proportion of RPUs’ budgets. As a result, RPUs have, on average, fewer tenured faculty and full-time instructional, research, and public service staff.
And even though state and federal policymakers have set goals and established initiatives to improve outcomes for underserved students, there has been far less effort made to better support the RPUs that enroll these students. The report urges the creation of federal grant or trust programs that would also require states to increase funding for RPUs. This spending could focus on student success programs such as aligning degree offerings with local industry needs, creating small business incubators, and conducting research on K-12 education.
One troubling trend identified in the report is the opening of branch campuses by larger universities in the service areas of RPUs. For example, the University of Oregon and Oregon State University now operate campuses within Portland State University’s service area. Colorado State University will begin offering degree programs in Denver alongside Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Such moves are placing greater enrollment pressures on smaller colleges and universities. “RPUs are anchor institutions for their communities and for the nation, and their continued ability to serve in these roles hinges on improved policy, research, understanding, and funding,” the report concluded.
