Abilene Times

Taylor County's four universities admitted an estimated 67.9% of applicants for fall 2022, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those who were admitted, 14.1% enrolled.

Of the four institutions in the county, three provided detailed enrollment data at the time, including Abilene Christian University, McMurry University and Hardin-Simmons University.

At least 15,885 people applied to Taylor County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.

NCES data shows that among them, around 8,156 students enrolled in the universities, including 5,864 in undergraduate and 2,292 in graduate programs. Only 3.8% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.

The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of white (57.2%) and Hispanic (23.4%) students.

Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, Abilene Christian University stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 5,079 students.

U.S. college enrollment has been in a downward trend since peaking at around 18.1 million students in 2010. Recent increases offered some relief, but experts project a steeper decline in 2025.

This decline is likely due to two main factors. First, the pool of young adults is shrinking as birth rates have fallen nearly 23% between 2007 and 2022. Second, the rising cost of higher education, including skyrocketing student loan debt. A 2023 Wall Street Journal report shows that more than half of Americans think a four-year degree is not worth the cost.

Some educational data is based on estimates. Shifting demographics among student populations can sometimes result in gender totals which do not equal 100%.

Institution	# of Applicants	# of Admitted Students	Total Enrollment
McMurry University	2,345	1,337	1,237
Hardin-Simmons University	2,314	2,036	1,765
Abilene Christian University	11,226	7,409	5,079
Texas College of Cosmetology-Abilene	--	--	75