RICHLAND, Wash. – More students than ever are attending Washington State University Tri-Cities this fall. According to official numbers released Thursday, campus enrollment increased by 167 students, or more than 13 percent, from the previous fall.
WSU Tri-Cities enrolled 177 new freshmen and 210 new transfers. The total number of enrolled students, which includes undergraduate, transfer and graduate students, is 1,593.
“We are thrilled to welcome so many new students to the WSU Tri-Cities campus,” said Dr. Chris Meiers, WSU Tri-Cities vice chancellor of enrollment management and student services. “The feedback our faculty and staff receive is that students and parents see our unique value as a campus that helps create career-prepared graduates through our industry partnerships, small class sizes and our polytechnic learning-by-doing approach.”
WSU Tri-Cities continues to be the most diverse campus in the WSU system, with 35.5 percent of students identifying as minorities, 55.6 percent female and 42.1 percent first generation students.
In addition to the new students, the campus continues to grow both in facilities and in programming. WSU Tri-Cities students recently voted to assess themselves a fee to construct a new student union building on campus. The facility is scheduled to open in spring of 2017. Last spring, WSU Tri-Cities opened the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates WSU Wine Science Center and recently added a hospitality business management degree to the campus.
“As the Tri-Cities and the region continue to grow, WSU Tri-Cities enrollment is growing by continuing to offer tremendous value with a polytechnic approach of ‘learn while doing’ in a student’s field of study and desired career,” WSU Tri-Cities Chancellor Keith Moo-Young said. “At WSU Tri-Cities, our students work closely with faculty and staff where they find opportunities for internships, co-ops, research and real-life application of their degrees.”
Moo-Young said he is confident students at WSU Tri-Cities will enter the professional marketplace career-ready with the ability to adapt to a global economy.
To learn more about WSU Tri-Cities and its commitment to dynamic student engagement, dynamic research experiences and dynamic community engagement, visit http://tricities.wsu.edu.
Contacts:
Jeffrey Dennison, director of Marketing and Communications, WSU Tri-Cities, 509-372-7319, Jeffrey.dennison@tricity.wsu.edu
Chris Meiers, vice chancellor for Enrollment Management and Student Services, WSU Tri-Cities, 509-372-7381, chris.meiers@tricity.wsu.edu