As the size of Iowa’s high school classes declines, Iowa State is trying to boost its out-of-state and transfer student enrollment.

ISU President Gregory Geoffroy said Iowa State would be “selectively focusing out-of-state recruitment efforts” through the hiring of a Chicago-area recruiter and working closer with Iowa’s community colleges.

Geoffroy said Iowa State’s fewer Iowa high school graduates translates into declining undergraduate enrollment.

“It’s because there are just fewer young people; that means fewer graduating high school seniors each year,” Geoffroy said during a Thursday interview on the “Talk of Iowa” radio program.

Marc Harding, director of admissions, said out of state students are integral in potential future enrollment growth.

“If we are going to maintain enrollment, if we are going to keep our market share, we have to look out of state or our enrollment will fall,” he said.

The new Chicago-area recruiter, who has not yet been hired, will be an individual who is well-connected in the community and able to promote Iowa State’s strengths, Harding said.

“Recruitment is about relationship building,” he said. “Having someone based in a particular geographic area, having someone based in the community who knows the community members, strengthens the relationship building process with community members and parents.”

Harding said Iowa State maintained its out-of-state enrollment this semester, although the number of students from Illinois dropped.

“We want to increase the number of students from the Illinois and Chicago area. In general, we want to reverse that trend,” he said.

Iowa State sits between the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa in out-of-state enrollment, Geoffroy said.

“Of the three Regents universities, the University of Iowa has the largest out-of-state enrollment, then Iowa State University, then the University of Northern Iowa,” he said.

Although more than 23 percent of ISU students are from out of state, 36 percent of students at Iowa and 8 percent at Northern Iowa come from other states or countries.

Harding said the University of Iowa enrolls more Illinois students because of its closer geographic proximity than Iowa State.

“Distance plays a factor, so cost plays another factor,” he said. “I think there is a greater cost challenge these days.”

David Holger, associate provost for academic programs, said Iowa State needs to improve communication with community colleges to increase community college enrollment.

“Increasing growth among Iowa’s community colleges means it is important to make it easier to transfer,” he said. “We need to make sure advisors in community colleges have up-to-date information about Iowa State.”

Iowa State’s increased community college recruitment efforts reflects increased diversity in educational options, Holger said.

“I think it is a recognition of students needing more [educational] options than in the past and we are recognizing it,” he said. “It’s not an Iowa trend, it’s a trend happening across the country.”