Efforts to improve the undergraduate student academic experience at Ohio State are paying off in the form of the third consecutive year of increased freshman retention rates and increases in academic standing of incoming students.

This academic year, 84 percent of the freshmen enrolled in autumn 1999 returned for their sophomore year, an increase from the rate of 83 percent recorded last year and 82 percent in 1998. The rate has increased significantly since 1996, when freshman retention stood at 79 percent.

“We expect these rates to continue to go up, which will contribute to more timely graduation rates for our students as well,” said James Mager, associate vice president for enrollment services.

In addition, since preliminary figures were released in late August, officials have determined that the freshman class reflects an increase in academic standing in a number of areas, including:

· An increase in the average ACT score, to 24.9, up from 24.7 last year;

· Increases in the percentages of students who were in the top 10 percent and 25 percent of their high school classes, at 32 percent and 68 percent, respectively;

· More University Scholars, to 708 from 696 last year. These are students who typically rank in the top 3 percent of their high school classes and have ACT scores of at least 29 (out of a possible 36) or SAT scores of at least 1300 (out of a possible 1600); and

· More high school valedictorians: 239, up from 231 last year.

The increased retention – demonstrated by the increase of 179 continuing students this year over 1999 – occurred even as fewer undergraduates were enrolled at the university, contributing to a slight decline in the overall Columbus campus enrollment this year.

Mager said Ohio State has been seeking to stabilize undergraduate enrollment for a number of years as part of ongoing efforts to enhance academic and outside-the-classroom services to students.

The total number of undergraduates on the Columbus campus is 35,749, a decline of 343 students – or 1 percent – from the 1999 figure of 36,092. Two major components of the decrease were expected: A planned reduction in freshmen by 186 and the reduction in transfer students by 141. The size of the freshman class, which stands at 5,774 this year, and the number of transfer students, 2,182, resulted from targeted enrollments of 5,800 and 2,200, respectively, Mager said.

Other declines in the number of undergraduates occurred among continuing education students and returning students – those who had been out of school for at least one quarter. Mager attributed those declines to a strong job market.

The official autumn 2000 enrollment stands at 47,952 on the Columbus campus, down from 48,003 from 1999.

The percentage of ethnic minorities represented in the freshman class also increased. The class includes 553 African Americans, or 9.6 percent of the class (up from 9.4 percent last year); 157 Hispanics, or 2.7 percent (up from 2.4 percent); 36 American Indians, or 0.6 percent (up from .5 percent); and 335 Asian Americans, or 5.8 percent (up from 5.5 percent).

Despite the declining number of undergraduates on the Columbus campus, the overall percentage of ethnic minorities among Columbus undergraduates increased slightly, to 15.6 percent this year from 15.4 percent last year. Among total university figures at all campuses and class ranks, Ohio State reached its all-time high for enrollment of Hispanics, at 951, up from 902 last year.

Ohio State also reflects a long-range national shift toward more women in higher education this year, with women making up slightly more than 50 percent of the Columbus campus enrollment. There are 24,007 women enrolled this year -- an increase of 408 women over last year -- compared to 23,945 men.

“This doesn’t seem to be concentrated in any one area,” Mager said. “It’s happening in a number of areas, among undergraduates, graduate students and professional students.”

Enrollment of graduate students and those studying in professional colleges (dentistry, law, medicine and public health, optometry, pharmacy and veterinary medicine) increased on the Columbus campus. Ohio State enrolled 9,382 graduate students, an increase of 2.5 percent over the 9,153 enrolled in 1999, and 2,821 professional students, up 2.3 percent from 2,758 last year.

Enrollment for the total University -- all campuses and all ranks -- increased 0.1 percent over 1999, to 55,043 from 54,989.

Autumn 1999 Enrollment Summary

The Ohio State University

Columbus campus

Undergraduate, graduate and professional: 47,952 (-0.1 percent; 48,003 in 1999)

Undergraduate only: 35,749 (-1 percent; 36,092 in 1999)

Professional only: 2,821 (+2.3 percent; 2,758 in 1999)

Graduate only: 9,382 (+2.5 percent; 9,153 in 1999)

Regional campuses (undergraduate and graduate)

Lima campus: 1,238 (-6.4 percent; 1,323 in 1999)

Mansfield campus: 1,583 (+0.6 percent; 1,573 in 1999)

Marion campus: 1,276 (+8.5 percent; 1,176 in 1999)

Newark campus: 2,025 (+7.5 percent; 1,883 in 1999)

ATI at Wooster: 969 (-6 percent; 1,031 in 1999)

All campuses

Undergraduate, graduate and professional: 55,043 (+0.1 percent; 54,989 in 1999)

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