MU reports record high numbers for enrollment
Published Nov. 14, 2006
In new enrollment data for the fall 2006 semester, the Office of the University Registrar announced record enrollment figures regarding student population as a whole and students from underrepresented groups.
In Fall Semester 2006, MU set a record for the total, undergraduate, graduate and minority enrollment. Total enrollment increased by 268 students to 27,985. With 21,551 undergraduates, the university now has the fifth largest Big 12 undergraduate enrollment.
The MU News Bureau released the information on Thursday, almost three months after releasing the first round of numbers in August.
This year's freshman class of 4,838 was also the largest in the history of the university.
Even with the increased enrollment, MU spokesman Christian Basi said MU has maintained the academic excellence of its incoming classes.
The percentages of first-time college students in the top 10 percent and top 2 percent of their high school graduating classes increased by .4 percent. The average freshman ACT score fell one-tenth of a point to 25.3, but remained above the national average of 21.1.
"We're pleased that our quality of classes continues to remain well above the national and state average, but we also know that we have a lot of work ahead of us to maintain the quality and composition of upcoming classes at Mizzou," Basi said.
Figures regarding the race of students enrolled changed as well.
The percentage of white students fell from 84.2 percent to 80 percent of the total population.
The black student population increased to 1,548, but its share of the total student population fell by .1 percent to 5.5 percent.
Legion of Black Collegians President Jabari Turner was unavailable for comment, but when preliminary numbers were released in August, Turner approached the results with praise and caution.
"I see it as a huge victory," Turner stated in an earlier Maneater report. "We want to celebrate, but still, there's a long ways to go."
The Hispanic student population has increased by 3.1 percent since 2005, and the black student population saw a 2.9 percent rise over the same time period.
Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Ann Korschgen said the increase in minority enrollment is a positive step for the university.
"We believe it says that minority students have a rewarding educational experience here," she said.
Basi said MU has made a concerted effort to attract a more diverse student body. The admissions office has recruiters who live and work full time in Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago and Dallas — cities with a high number of minority students.
"It is important to have a diverse campus because once students graduate, they will experience a variety of situations and cultures," Basi said. "Their time at MU can help them to better understand these situations."
The one-year retention rate increased from 84.2 to 84.5 percent from 2005 to 2006. The six-year graduation rate also increased by three percentage points from 65.9 percent in 2005 to 68.9 percent.