DAYTON, Ohio — Some private Ohio universities are expecting fewer incoming students this fall, in part because of the sluggish economy and fallout from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

        “I'm concerned, but I'm not alarmed,” said Kenneth Christmon, admissions director for Wilberforce University.

        The private, historically black southwest Ohio school has received about 2,100 applications for the fall term, down about 17 percent from last year. So far, the university has accepted about 335 for fall, down slightly from last year at this time.

        However, Mr. Christmon said school officials are pleased with the quality of those already admitted: about one-third have high school grade point averages of 3.5 or better.

        Mr. Christmon said the struggling economy has some prospective students looking at less expensive schools. And he believes some parents want their children to attend college closer to home because of the attacks in New York and Washington.

        Wilberforce's traditional-age students who live on campus come from outside Ohio, and the university has recruited about 100 students from New York and New Jersey in the past two years.

        The National Association for College Admission Counseling reported last week that nearly 300 colleges and universities nationwide — most of them private — are still looking for qualified applicants for the fall term.

        The University of Dayton, which has had strong demand for spots in its freshmen classes the past two years, has extended by two weeks its customary May 1 deadline for some students to make their choices and has turned to its waiting list to try to fill out the fall's entering class, said Chris Munoz, vice president for enrollment management.

        Even with those steps, the private Catholic university will likely reach about 1,700 incoming students, down 34 students from last year.

        Dayton had 7,414 applications for the fall class, second highest in the school's history. And the number of campus visits was up slightly from last year, usually a sign that a good portion of applicants will choose the school.

        But Mr. Munoz said students seem to be making final decisions later, and the percentage choosing Dayton has dipped.

        “The X-factor is the economy and how it's affecting students' choices,” he said.

        Not all schools expect a decline in fall enrollment.

        Wittenberg University in Springfield has received 2,562 applications for the fall term, up 12 percent from the 2,299 applications the school had at this time last year, officials said on Monday.

        Falling enrollments at private universities are not confined to Ohio.

        For example, enrollment has declined at most of Oklahoma's private colleges and universities, a trend some school leaders say is due to uncertainty caused by the Sept. 11 attacks and a downturn in the economy.

        Spring enrollment at Oklahoma City University dropped 7 percent from spring 2001. The decline was 1.4 percent at the University of Tulsa and 3.6 percent at Oral Roberts University.

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