8602379667?profile=originalEnrollment has risen at many public colleges and universities across Massachusetts, fueled in large part by an ­increase in Latino students and older students, according to a new state analysis.

The number of undergraduates on public campuses is increas­ing even as the state’s high school population is slowly declining.

“The data tell an important story, namely that many of our campuses continue to see remark­able growth while also serving as critical gateways for underserved populations,” Richard M. Freeland, state commissioner of higher education, said in a statement Tuesday.

Between 2008 and 2011, ­Latino student enrollment in the state’s public colleges ­increased 50 percent while non-Latino enrollment rose 7 percent. Enrollment by students 25 or older increased by 21 percent, compared with 6 percent for students under 25, according to the study by the state Education Department.

The analysis also revealed significant one-year enrollment increases at five state college campuses: Framingham State University, 6.2 percent; the University of Massachusetts ­Lowell, 5 percent; Fitchburg State University, 4.3 percent; Bunker Hill Community College, 4 percent; and Northern Essex Community College, 3.9 percent.

UMass Lowell has led the UMass campuses in undergraduate enrollment growth the past three years; Bunker Hill has similarly led in growth at the community college level. Framingham State has topped the state university system in enrollment growth the past two years. READ MORE

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