Across the 10-campus University of Hawaii system, headcount dipped by 2% this semester, compared with last fall, to 49,977 students. In at least one respect, the state’s public higher education system is a victim of its own success as overall graduation tallies are outpacing those for new enrollment.

At the flagship UH-Manoa campus — where the four-year graduation rate has doubled in eight years — enrollment dipped by 1.2% to 17,490. That raises the hurdle a bit higher for UH-Manoa leadership’s ongoing efforts to see headcount enrollment top 20,000 — a mark last hit five years ago.