A public university’s total enrollment includes many divergent categories and subsets of students. Totals for some may be up while others are down, so a single statistic rarely gives an accurate representation of enrollment or its meaning for the institution.
The following provides context and explanation for The University of Akron’s 2015 Fall Semester first-day-of-class enrollment. (NOTE: Final semester enrollment numbers for all University System of Ohio institutions are calculated on the 15th day of classes.)
The new freshman wave: More and better
Freshmen enrollment is now rising, after three years of decline (see chart).
This fall new freshmen enrollment rose 5.3% from the previous year to 4,350 students. The influx of new students also means UA’s 10 residence halls are at capacity and staff is working to accommodate students still on waiting lists for room assignments.
The academic preparedness of these new freshmen also is better, with an average high school grade point average of 3.40, and average ACT test scores of 23.2. That is a critical factor because better-prepared students are more likely to persist and earn degrees.
Honors rising
Another significant trend is the increase in UA’s Honors College, which provides significant benefits to academically high-achieving students.
Last year we saw a dramatic increase in Honors College freshmen enrollment, leaping more than 60% to 578 students. This year’s freshman class includes 636 students, an additional increase of 10%. The average high school GPA for all Honors College freshmen is 3.95, and the average ACT score is 28.5.
With these additions, UA’s total Honors College enrollment – freshmen through seniors – is 1,937. To put that in perspective, UA’s Honors College enrollment is larger than the total campus enrollment of many private colleges in the region and state.
In addition, the number of minority freshmen students in the Honors College rose for the second consecutive year, climbing 9.1% to 58. Total minority student enrollment in the Honors College is a record 155 students, which accounts for 8% of all Honors students.
Growth among graduate students
Another positive trend is an increase in both the number (headcount) and productivity (student credit hours) of individuals enrolled in UA’s master’s and Ph.D. programs.
The total number of entering graduate students is 849, a 1.9% increase over last year. Perhaps most impressive is a 26% year-to-year increase in incoming first-year JD students in The University of Akron School of Law. This bucks a national trend of substantial declines in law school enrollments.
If indicators are good, why is total enrollment down?
The University of Akron’s total enrollment reported on Aug. 31, 2015 was 25,004, about 3% fewer than the 25,771 reported on the first day of classes in Fall 2014.
To understand that in light of the increased enrollment in new freshmen, recall the first chart and the precipitous drop in new freshmen in 2012 and 2013.
Under a previous open enrollment policy, which ended with the 2011 class, admission requirements did not specify a minimum level of academic preparedness. In 2012 The University of Akron changed its admission policy to increase persistence toward graduation. Now students need ACT scores higher than 16 to be admitted to the main campus. Those with l6 or less are channeled toward community colleges where they can pursue associate degrees or improve their GPA performance.
When this new policy was implemented it was understood and accepted that it could adversely impact enrollment figures for three to six years. However it also is expected to ultimately improve retention, graduation and eventually enrollment rates by bringing better academically prepared students to campus.
Why such a long effect? Think of it like a pipeline.
A smaller freshmen enrollment in any given year creates a traveling “dent” in our enrollment pipeline. That dent advances with those cohorts each year as they move toward graduation. So a small freshman class means a smaller sophomore class in the following year, as the group moves through the University pipeline. Two successive years of lower freshmen enrollment means smaller sophomore and junior classes in the succeeding years.
Meanwhile, the larger classes from previous years graduate, also decreasing the total student enrollment. This just happened, as more than 5,000 students graduated at commencement ceremonies held in academic year 2014-15.
Summary
Although total student headcount continues to reflect a steep two-year decline in freshmen enrollment from earlier in the decade, the Fall 2015 increases in freshmen, Honors College and graduate school enrollments are strong indicators that The University of Akron has turned the corner and is well positioned for a renewed period of growth.