Summer enrollment is up 9 percent from last year, according to university officials.

Total enrollment for the university jumped 9.26 percent across all eight campuses, with 13,575 students enrolled in summer courses compared to 12,424 last year.

T. David Garcia, associate vice president for enrollment management, said the lagging economy has kept more students in Kent State classrooms.

“We’re seeing more students transfer from other universities, both private and public, to Kent State,” Garcia said. “And I would suspect the economy plays a role in that.”

More than 8,000 students are enrolled this summer at Kent State’s main campus, an increase of 4.64 percent from last year. The university’s Salem campus saw a 39.49 percent jump this year.

“During the spring semester, we saw a lot of transfer students, and they’ll continue into the summer,” Garcia said. “We’re seeing a lot of current Kent State students try to get ahead or get caught up.”

Contact editor Jenna Staul at [email protected].