Enrollments in private rural colleges surge amid tough economic times

As the lingering economic downturn weighs heavily on household budgets, private colleges in rural areas are enjoying a surge in their number of enrollments, it's been learned।

Enrollments in private rural colleges have grown from last year, while private universities in large cities saw their student numbers decline, according to a survey released by the Promotion and Mutual Aid Corporation for Private Schools of Japan (Shigaku-Jigyodan)।

Until now, prestigious private universities in urban areas had enjoyed advantages in the fierce competition for students; however, as the long recession casts a shadow over the household economy, more students and their parents are favoring nearby colleges over urban universities in an attempt to reduce expenses।

The survey was conducted on 570 private colleges in 21 districts across Japan, excluding correspondence colleges। The results indicated that colleges in rural areas including the Chugoku district and Tohoku district have boosted their student numbers, apart from those in large cities such as in Hiroshima Prefecture and Miyagi Prefecture.

On the other hand, universities in urban areas including Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture suffered a decline, with the number of new students dropping by 0।5 percent and 1.3 percent, respectively.

The competition rate for large-scale universities with a capacity of 3,000 students or over has also dropped for the first time in three years, while the number of applicants decreased by around 14,000।

"It is not clear whether the trend is temporary, or it will continue after the current economic slump is over," says a Shigaku-Jigyodan representative।

Among private colleges, 46।5 percent, or 265 schools, are under-enrolled, while 31 colleges have less than 50 percent of their student capacity।
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