WSU sees record spring semester enrollment growth

wsu-logo-sports-120PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State University has experienced its highest spring semester enrollment ever, registering 27,093 students statewide, up 2.1 percent from the spring semester of 2015.

The enrollment increase occurred across all WSU campuses, with WSU Tri-Cities registering the largest growth with a total enrollment of 1,510 students, an increase of 11.3 percent from the spring semester in 2015.

Interim WSU President Daniel J. Bernardo said that, in addition to attracting new students, the enrollment data show the university experienced a strong retention rate among existing students between the fall and spring semesters.

“We’re seeing an increasing percentage of in-state students turning to Washington State University to pursue their higher education,” Bernardo said. “That trend is borne out, as well, in the nearly 20 percent -growth we have experienced this year so far in applications for enrollment in our freshman class this fall.”

For the current semester, WSU experienced an average overall undergraduate enrollment increase of 1.4 percent statewide from the previous spring semester. WSU Tri-Cities experienced the largest undergraduate growth of the semester, enrolling 1,306 undergraduates, for a 12.9 percent increase from the 1,137 enrolled there for the spring semester in 2015.

While the number of Incoming new undergraduate students is traditionally smaller during spring semester, WSU this semester enrolled 79 new freshmen and 292 new transfer students at WSU Pullman; enrolled 73 new transfer students at WSU Spokane; enrolled 8 new freshmen and 200 new transfers at WSU Vancouver; enrolled 4 new freshmen and 62 new transfer students at WSU Tri-Cities; enrolled 14 new freshmen and 208 new transfers at WSU Global, and enrolled 15 new transfers at Everett.

Graduate student enrollments also increased across all WSU campuses, with a total graduate enrollment of 4,181 students statewide, for an increase of 5.2 percent from the graduate enrollment of 3,965 for spring semester of 2015. WSU Global experienced the largest graduate enrollment growth, enrolling 1,922 graduate students, for a 13.7 percent increase from the spring semester of 2015.

As it has for the past several years, WSU also grew increasingly diverse this semester, with the percentage of minority students across all campuses increasing to 27.6 percent, up from 26.2 percent during the spring of 2015. Undergraduate minority enrollment also increased to 30.3 percent statewide, compared to 28.7 percent for the same period one year ago.

WSU continues to attract a large number of first generation students, who represented 35.1 percent of all WSU students statewide. Among undergraduates, the total number of first generation students now compromises nearly 40 percent of all undergraduates statewide.

As in years past, WSU continues primarily to serve in-state students. The spring semester enrollment figures show that 80.9 percent of all WSU students reside in Washington. A full 85.6 percent of undergraduates and 56.5 percent of all graduate students statewide are Washington residents.

Contact:

Robert Strenge, WSU News, 509-335-3583, rstrenge@wsu.edu

 

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