10-27-98
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY ENROLLMENT INCREASES
COLUMBUS -- Columbus campus and total university enrollment
at The Ohio State University has increased slightly since last
year, according to recently released autumn quarter 1998 figures.
In Columbus, undergraduate enrollment is up, graduate
student enrollment is down, and overall minority enrollment has
seen an increase, including new records for African American and
Asian American enrollment.
Enrollment is 48,511 on the Columbus campus this year, up
0.5 percent from the figure of 48,278 undergraduate, graduate and
professional students enrolled in autumn 1997. That figure
includes a freshman class of 6,092, which rose 4.0 percent over
the 1997 freshman class of 5,861.
The freshman class this year received high marks for several
academic criteria, including an increased average ACT score, a
strong showing of high school valedictorians, and reduced
participation in remedial math and English courses.
Undergraduate enrollment on the Columbus campus rose 1.7
percent to 36,252, compared to 35,647 a year ago. The most
substantial increases were seen in the freshman class and the
number of continuing students -- 26,160 this year, a 2.5 percent
increase over the figure of 25,536 last year.
“The increase in the number of continuing students is an
indication that the more vigorous retention efforts are proving
to be effective,” said James Mager, assistant vice president for
enrollment management.
Strategies to improve retention and graduation rates have
included emphasis on providing more one-on-one contact and
continuing improvements in academic advising; establishing more
residence hall living/learning communities; enhancing student
leadership; increasing communication about student support
initiatives; continuing to reduce closed courses; continuing to
reward excellent teaching; and continuing to assess curricular
strategies.
Transfer student enrollment actually declined on the
Columbus campus. Mager said transfer student admissions were
closed Aug. 15 this year -- approximately a month earlier than
usual -- because more prospective freshmen accepted Ohio State’s
offer of admission than expected.
Graduate (nonprofessional master’s and Ph.D. candidates)
student enrollment declined 3.7 percent, from 9,907 in autumn
1997 to 9,538 this year. Graduate professional enrollment
(students in medicine, law, dentistry, pharmacy, optometry and
veterinary medicine) also dropped just slightly, from 2,724 in
1997 to 2,721 this year.
“We typically find that when the employment climate is
strong, graduate enrollment sees a decline. I believe that’s the
case with the decrease we’re seeing this year,” Mager said.
Autumn 1998 enrollment figures marked yet another new record
for African American students (3,465 Columbus, 3,638 overall) and
Asian American students (2,488 Columbus, 2,535 overall). The
number of Hispanic students increased 1.7 percent in Columbus,
from 809 to 823, and 3 percent overall, from 856 to 882, after
seeing declines last year. American Indian/Alaskan Native
enrollment decreased 10.7 percent in Columbus, from 178 last year
to 159 this year, and 8.7 percent overall, from 207 to 189.
All campuses
The total Ohio State enrollment of 55,233 represents a 0.8
percent increase over the enrollment of 54,818 recorded in autumn
1997. Total undergraduate enrollment also is up 1.8 percent, to
42,465 on all campuses compared to 41,694 last year. Overall
graduate student enrollment is down 3.4 percent, from 10,400 last
year to 10,047 this year.
At regional campuses, enrollment rose at four campuses and
decreased at one. Mansfield’s enrollment rose 3.9 percent to
1,517; Marion is up 3.3 percent to 1,141; Newark increased 6.1
percent to 1,778; and the Agricultural Technical Institute at
Wooster rose 4.3 percent to 965. At Lima, enrollment decreased
3.9 percent to 1,321.
Autumn 1998 Enrollment Summary
The Ohio State University
All campuses
55,233 undergraduate, graduate and professional
(up 0.8 percent from 54,818 in 1997)
Columbus campus
Undergraduate, graduate and professional: 48,511 (+0.5
percent; 48,278 in 1997)
Undergraduate only: 36,252 (+ 1.7 percent; 35,647 in 1997)
Professional only: 2,721 (-0.1 percent; 2,724 in 1997)
Graduate only: 9,538 (-3.7 percent; 9,907 in 1997)
Regional campuses (undergraduate and graduate)
Lima campus: 1,321 (-3.9 percent; 1,374 in 1997)
Mansfield campus: 1,517 (+3.9 percent; 1,460 in 1997)
Marion campus: 1,141 (+3.3 percent; 1,105 in 1997)
Newark campus: 1,778 (+6.1 percent; 1,676 in 1997)
ATI at Wooster: 965 (+4.3 percent; 925 in 1997)
Minority undergraduate, graduate and professional enrollment
(all campuses)
African American: 3,638 (+0.3 percent; 3,627 in 1997; 6.6
percent of total university enrollment)
American Indian/Alaskan Native: 189 (-8.7 percent; 207 in
1997)
Asian American/Pacific Islander: 2,535 (+0.4 percent; 2,524
in 1997)
Hispanic: 882 (+3 percent; 856 in 1997)
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Contact: James Mager, (614) 688-5791