San Jose State University is an exception to declining enrollment across the California State University system, which has prompted many campuses to make drastic budget cuts.
Even with increased enrollment, the South Bay university is still paying the price with more cuts expected in the 2025-2026 school year.
SJSU has seen a boom in school enrollment -- a 4% jump this year and welcoming the largest freshman class in campus history. Being in the heart of Silicon Valley has helped the university open its College of Information Data and Society.
"That is a new college that focuses on AI," SJSU spokesperson Michelle Smith said, adding many students are coming to the campus for that specific program.
Many other universities in the CSU system are seeing the opposite with big declines in student enrollment.
Administrators feel the declining birthrate and the drop in enrollment seen in California elementary and middle schools is now beginning to hit the university system.
EdSource reports that systemwide enrollment is almost 3% lower than a decade ago, which means cuts are now necessary systemwide. Those cuts are beyond the $58 million SJSU already slashed over the last two years.
"We have not filled unfilled position," Smith said. "We have cut back on sections of specific classes. We have eliminated some programs where there wasn't a lot of students."
Smith said the university is not slashing to the bone and are doing 8% cuts for each department.
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Ariana Lacson, SJSU's student body president, said to protect current students she is not meeting the university president. Lacson notes one-third of those students are the first generation in their family to attend college.
"I our main concern students are facing is making sure our resources on campus, the support system, has enough adequate funding because that's the support and resources needed to be successful," Lacson said.
