Upward trends continue; Columbus enrollment reaches 48,477

  COLUMBUS – Years of activity directed at enhancing the undergraduate student experience at Ohio State are showing a number of measurable results in this year's autumn quarter enrollment report, which includes several record-breaking features.

The percentage of students who returned for their second year has reached an all-time high rate of 86 percent, marking the continuation of an upward trend that began in 1995, when the percentage of freshmen returning for their sophomore year stood at 77.7 percent.

Similarly, the percentage of students returning for their third year has hit a record, reaching 75.8 percent -- compared to 66.1 percent in 1996.

"The fruits of these intensified efforts focusing on undergraduate life are showing up now," said James Mager, associate vice president for enrollment services. "The retention we're seeing now relates to the quality of students we're bringing in, but also to the heightened attention we're paying to undergraduates, and especially to freshmen and sophomores. There are many new programs and enhancements to existing programs in academic departments and the Student Affairs division that are clearly leading to increased student progress and success, ranging from restructured advising and programming offered in the Younkin Success Center to Welcome Week expansions, increased Honors and Scholars and living-learning opportunities, and programming related to the First Year Experience."

The University also is reporting an all-time high enrollment of African American (3,780), Hispanic (969) and American Indian students (225). Contributing to the minority record is recruitment of the most diverse freshman class ever, in which African Americans account for 9.9 percent of the class, Hispanics account for 2.8 percent and American Indians account for 0.7 percent of the entering class -- each figure an all-time high percentage.

Officials confirm that the freshman class also was the most academically prepared group of first-year students ever, with an average ACT score of 25.2 (up from 24.9 last year), 245 high school valedictorians, 104 National Merit Scholars and 32 percent coming from the top 10 percent of their high school classes.

The number of new freshmen stands at 5,894 on the Columbus campus. Total Columbus campus enrollment increased this year, to 48,477, a 1.1 percent increase over last year's enrollment of 47,952. Total University enrollment also increased, from 55,043 in 2000 to 55,737 this year, a 1.3 percent increase. Graduate student enrollment in Columbus increased 0.7 percent, from 9,382 last year to 9,452 this autumn, as did graduate professional student enrollment, rising 5.5 percent to 2,976, up from 2,821 last year. Professional student enrollment figures apply to those pursuing advanced degrees in dentistry, law, medicine, optometry, pharmacy and veterinary medicine.

"Overall, it's a very strong enrollment year," Mager said. "Some figures came in higher than we expected, and we're particularly gratified to see the record highs of retained students and minority students."

Mager identified two "megatrends" that have become more evident each year, one of which illustrates the increased retention.

The number of freshmen and sophomores decreased by about 4,000 between 1990 and 1995. This was an intentional reduction as part of a strategic plan to downsize the Columbus campus enrollment to enhance the undergraduate experience and strengthen admission standards. Since 1996, however, the number of juniors and seniors has increased by more than 1,800. Mager said the numbers speak to the success of the strategy: Better retention resulted from the combination of admitting freshmen under stronger admission standards and then providing them with enhanced undergraduate student experiences once they were here.

He also said the number of part-time students has declined steadily over the past 10 years, and attributed that trend in part to the tuition reductions at two-year institutions resulting from the state's Access Challenge program, which likely made those institutions more convenient and appealing to part-time students.

Autumn 2001 Enrollment Summary

Columbus campus

Undergraduate, graduate and professional: 48,477 (+1.1 percent; 47,952 in 2000)

Undergraduate only: 36,049 (+0.8 percent; 35,749 in 2000)

Professional only: 2,976 (+5.5 percent; 2,821 in 2000)

Graduate only: 9,452 (+0.7 percent; 9,382 in 2000)

Regional campuses (undergraduate and graduate)

Ohio State Lima: 1,356 (+9.5 percent; 1,238 in 2000)

Ohio State Mansfield: 1,495 (-5.6 percent; 1,583 in 2000)

Ohio State Marion: 1,390 (+8.9 percent; 1,276 in 2000)

Ohio State Newark: 2,079 (+2.7 percent; 2,025 in 2000)

ATI at Wooster: 940 (-3 percent; 969 in 2000)

All campuses

Undergraduate, graduate and professional: 55,737 (+1.3 percent; 55,043 in 2000)

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