97-10-24 Autumn 1997 Enrollment

COLUMBUS CAMPUS ENROLLMENT DECREASES SLIGHTLY; UNDERGRADUATE
NUMBERS INCREASE

     COLUMBUS -- Official enrollment figures for autumn quarter 1997 at the
Columbus campus of The Ohio State University have been released and they show:

     -- undergraduate enrollment has increased.
     -- overall enrollment is down slightly.
     -- enrollment of minority students has reached a record high.

     Columbus undergraduate enrollment rose from 35,486 last fall to 35,647
this year, a 0.5 percent increase.  The figures for continuing, returning
and transfer students have increased in the past year, countering the
smaller freshman class.

     "It was our plan to reduce the size of the freshman class and increase
the size of the transfer class.  Both of these things happened," said James
Mager, assistant vice president for enrollment management.

     Columbus campus enrollment dropped 0.2 percent, from 48,352
undergraduate,
graduate and professional students last year to 48,278 in 1997.  The lower
enrollment results largely from a university effort to reduce the number of
students as part of improving student services.  The lower number also is
attributed in part to a decline in graduate student enrollment.

     Administrators began a plan to stabilize student numbers about six
years ago, and have lowered the overall Columbus campus enrollment from
more than 54,000 students in the early 1990s to the 48,278 students on
campus now.  Mager said Columbus campus enroll-ment is likely to remain
between 48,000 and 49,000 in the future.

     "We downsized to improve the quality of student life," Mager said.
"Residence hall density reduced from four students per room to two per room
in many cases.  We also have less crowded classrooms and lower
student-faculty ratios.  In addition, students have better access to study
space and recreation facilities."   Mager added that the elimination of
undergraduate programs in education and a reduction in the size of the
undergraduate business program also contributed to a lower enrollment on
the Columbus campus.

     The drop in freshman enrollment -- down 115 to 5,861 this year -- also
was
intentional as part of improving student services.  The freshman class this
year featured the highest overall average academic standing of any previous
freshman class, based on ACT/SAT scores, honors program participation and a
variety of other criteria.

     Autumn 1997 enrollment figures marked new records for African American
students (3,440 Columbus, 3,627 overall), American Indian or Alaskan Native
(178 Columbus, 207 overall), and Asian American students (2,463 Columbus,
2,524 overall).  The number of Hispanic students has decreased from 910 in
autumn 1996 to 856 this year.

     Graduate student enrollment is down.  At the Columbus campus, graduate
(non-professional) enrollment decreased 2.4 percent, from 10,148 last year
to 9,907 this autumn.  Professional student numbers rose by 0.2 percent,
from 2,718 to 2,724.

     "At the Columbus and regional campuses, almost all of the decline in
graduate students was reported among part-time students.  The campuses
remained fairly stable in the number of full-time graduate students
enrolled," Mager said.

     The University of Texas at Austin released an enrollment figure  of
48,866 this fall, indicating Ohio State does not have the largest single
campus enrollment in the country.

All campuses
     The total Ohio State enrollment of 54,818 represents a 0.2 percent
increase over the enrollment of 54,726 recorded in autumn 1996.  Total
undergraduate enrollment also is up 1.1 percent, to 41,694 on all campuses
compared to 41,248 last year.  Overall graduate student enrollment is down
3.3 percent, from 10,760 last year to 10,400 this year.

     At regional campuses, enrollment rose at four campuses and decreased
at one.  Lima's enrollment rose 7.3 percent to 1,374; Mansfield is up 8.7
percent to 1,460; Newark increased 4 percent to 1,676; and the Agricultural
Technical Institute at Wooster rose 11.9 percent to 925.  At Marion,
enrollment decreased 15.8 percent to 1,105.

Autumn 1997 Enrollment Summary
The Ohio State University

All campuses
     54,818 undergraduate, graduate and professional
     (up 0.2 percent from 54,726 in 1996)

Columbus campus
     Undergraduate, graduate and professional: 48,278 (-0.2 percent;
   
          48,352 in 1996)
     Undergraduate only: 35,647 (+0.5 percent; 35,486 in 1996)
     Professional only: 2,724 (+0.2 percent; 2,718 in 1996)
     Graduate only: 9,907 (-2.4 percent; 10,148 in 1996)

Regional campuses (undergraduate and graduate)
     Lima campus: 1,374 (+7.3 percent; 1,281 in 1996)
     Mansfield campus: 1,460 (+8.7 percent; 1,343 in 1996)
     Marion campus: 1,105 (-15.8 percent; 1,312 in 1996)
     Newark campus: 1,676 (+4 percent; 1,611 in 1996)
     Agricultural Technical Institute at Wooster: 925 (+11.9           
          percent; 827 in 1996)

Minority undergraduate, graduate and professional enrollment 
(all campuses)
     African American: 3,627 (+1.5 percent; 3,572 in 1996)
     American Indian or Alaskan Native: 207 (+11.9 percent; 185
          in 1996)
     Asian or Pacific Islander: 2,524 (+4.9 percent; 2,407 
          in 1996)
     Hispanic: 856 (-5.9 percent; 910 in 1996)

                             #

Contact: James Mager, (614) 688-5791


[Submitted by: Carolyn Glover  (glover.3@osu.edu)
               
Fri, 24 Oct 1997 14:41:08 -0400]
All documents are the responsibility of their originator.