It looks like Ohio University will have another record breaking year for applications and first year student enrollment.
At the university’s Board of Trustee’s meeting, Craig Cornell, OU’s vice provost for Enrollment Management, outlined fall semester’s expected enrollment numbers for the incoming freshmen class.
As of June, about 20,900 students had applied for this academic year, the highest number OU has ever seen. That is the third consecutive year application numbers have broken records.
So far, 4,500 students admitted to OU have paid their housing deposits, Cornell said. Officials are planning on 4,065 students showing up to campus this fall.
But if last year offers any indication, OU could be looking at more students than it expects.
Last year’s freshmen class had 4,249 students, which was the largest freshmen class in the university’s history. About 4,300 students had paid their housing deposit at this time last year, Cornell said.
“There are always students who pay the housing deposit and withdraw for various reasons,” he said.
This year’s enrollment numbers show increases in out-of-state and international students as well, Cornell said. Exact figures are difficult to find until freshmen arrive to campus this fall.
OU is an anomaly
in terms of enrollment across the state of Ohio. Last year, OU’s Athens campus saw a 5 percent increase in enrollment — the highest increase in the state for other large four year institutions, according to Cornell’s presentation to the trustees.
The University of Cincinnati saw the second highest increase at 4 percent. Miami University had a 2 percent increase, while Cleveland State University, Kent State University and the Ohio State University all saw 1 percent increases.
Bowling Green State University, Akron University, University of Toledo and Youngstown State University all saw decreases at their main campuses.
Cornell said he thinks OU has done a better job of targeting students than its rivals, repeating an annual mantra about the university’s enrollment success.
“I think we have been able to effectively get Ohio in front of students and parents,” Cornell said. “This exposure has allowed students and families to carefully evaluate us and are choosing to come here based on a lot of factors, but one significant one is the quality and return on the investment they see from our strong academic programs.”
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