Emerson College Reveals Low Enrollment Numbers, Partly Due to Pro-Palestinian Protesters

Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, revealed that it is experiencing low enrollment numbers for the 2024-2025 freshman class, partly due to pro-Palestinian protests that occurred on campus.

College officials emailed faculty and staff, stating that the “size” of the freshman class in the fall was “significantly below” what they had hoped it would be, pointing to pro-Palestinian protests and “negative” press as reasons for the low enrollment.

“Now that the College’s enrollment deposit deadline for this year has passed, we want to share with our community that the size of our projected incoming first-year class for Fall 2024 is significantly below what we had hoped,” the email began.

The email continued to note that the low enrollment numbers were attributed to “multiple factors,” which included data showing “national enrollment trends away from smaller private institutions,” along with “student protests” and “negative press and social media generated from the demonstrations and arrests,” among other reasons.

Emerson College added that it believes that the low enrollment numbers it is experiencing are not permanent and will only be “a one-year phenomenon,” adding that it will be going through “immediate spending reductions,” according to CBS News.

However, due to the low enrollment numbers, Emerson College will be conducting layoffs.

“We will limit our staff and faculty searches next year and carefully review existing programs and offerings for future savings,” the college said, adding that it would “need to eliminate some staff positions, both vacant and filled,” as well as “potentially” lay off some faculty members.

Emerson College was one of many colleges and universities across the nation that saw anti-Israel encampments and protests erupt on campus in support of the first encampment that was started at Columbia University.

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Jessica Schwalb via Storyful

More than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters at Emerson College were arrested on April 25 after law enforcement officials cleared the anti-Israel encampment that had been established on campus, according to Boston.com.

Protesters had been calling for “full disclosure and divestment from Zionist entities, an end to student movement suppression,” and an “IMMEDIATE and permanent ceasefire in Gaza,” according to the Instagram for Students for Justice in Palestine at Emerson College.

Breitbart News reached out to Emerson College for a statement but did not receive a response by the time of publication.