Over the last few decades, the United States has been obsessed with size. Until gas prices approached $5 a gallon, massive SUVs ruled the roads. Even now as gas prices have dropped, I’ve noticed a rise in the number of New SUVs on the road. In the 1950’s, the average new home construction was slightly over 1200 square feet. Today, the average is twice that all while the average family size is shrinking.
Universities are no different, mega-campuses have been increasing to the point where there are now nine public universities with over 50,000 students. Central Florida University now boasts over 60,000 students. This doesn’t count private institutions like Liberty University that grow huge enrollments through online programs. Central Florida wasn’t even established until 1963. The next largest university, The Ohio State University, had 20,512 students in 1950 and had an enrollment of 58,663 last year.