Official census shows good enrollment news, new records

With total new freshman enrollment increasing by 3.6% this fall (4,278 students) – and the largest ever Honors College new freshman and total enrollment – The University of Akron is showing several positive enrollment trends, as detailed in the official census report that will be filed with the Ohio Department of Higher Education:

Students outside of Bierce Library on Monday.

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• A 5.1% increase in new Direct from High School students, with 3,733 for this fall compared to 3,552 last year
• An increase in traditional freshman grade point average (GPA) to 3.4, the highest in school history
• A 10.7% increase in the entering Honors College class (640 new students) and a 5.4% increase in overall Honors College enrollment (to 1,931 students)
• A 26.7% increase in the School of Law entering class, with 147 students as compared to 116 last fall
• Steady entering Graduate School enrollment, with more doctoral degree students and fewer master’s degree candidates

In total, 25,177 students (undergraduate, graduate and law) are enrolled from 44 states and territories and 88 foreign countries. Non-Ohio residents increased to 4.1% of the total student population from last year’s 3.5% and the international student population increased to 5.7% of the total from last year’s 5.4%. The total enrollment is a 2.7% decrease from last year.

'Growth and opportunity'

UA President Scott L. Scarborough said, “These numbers tell a story of growth and opportunity here at UA. We’re excited to welcome all of the new students as well as those who are returning to continue their educational journey to graduation. I know they’ll find high quality and distinctive academic programming, as well as committed faculty and staff who are here to help them on their way.”

UA Vice President of Advancement Lawrence J. Burns said, “The efforts and strategies of Lauri Thorpe, associate vice president for enrollment management, and the entire admissions and recruitment team have really paid off. Applications for admission were up substantially this year from last year and from additional areas of the country. This demonstrates the attraction and value of a University of Akron education and degree.”

The University ramped up its admissions and recruiting efforts during the past couple of years and positive results are occurring. Applications were up to nearly 22,000 for this year’s class, an increase of 61% from two years ago.

A two-year decline in freshmen enrollment plateaued last year and freshman enrollment now is trending upwards. UA raised its admissions standards during the 2011—2012 academic year, which contributed to a 17% decrease in new entering freshmen for the fall 2012 and 2013 entering classes. The current total student enrollment also is affected by the larger graduating classes this past academic year (2014 – 2015), as more than 5,200 students graduated during that time.

UA has made significant progress with its efforts to help students continue from year-to-year, as 74.2% of last year’s freshmen (first-time, full-time, bachelor’s degree-seeking students on the main campus) returned this fall. That’s a dramatic increase from two years ago, when 66.4% returned.