WSU enrolls 15,100 students for 2011 fall semester

Enrollment at Wichita State University for fall 2011 is 15,100 students, an increase of 294 students or 2 percent compared to fall 2010, according to the official enrollment report given to the Kansas Board of Regents following the 20th day of classes.

It is the first time since 2002 that WSU’s fall enrollment has surpassed 15,000 students.

Total student credit hours are 161,810 for fall 2011, an increase of 3.2 percent compared to fall 2010, and the highest number of credit hours since at least 1980.

“This year we achieved our goal in student enrollment and credit hour production,” said Wichita State President Don Beggs. “This is a compliment to the faculty and staff who have worked hard to recruit students who can benefit from this unique university. I think it’s an indication that we are fulfilling our mission for the state of Kansas.”

The higher enrollment is because of a combination of factors — increased focus and initiatives for retention of current students and the recruitment of new freshmen and new transfers.

There are 1,366 new freshmen attending WSU this fall, an increase of 4.7 percent. The number of new transfers is 1,471, an increase of 5.8 percent.

About 86 percent of the student body is composed of Kansas residents, with 9,642 students from Sedgwick County.

“Students and parents continue to place high value on what we offer at Wichita State University and the experience-based learning opportunities that set us apart from other higher education choices,” said Wade Robinson, vice president for Campus Life and University Relations.

“It is the dedicated work of all the faculty and staff at WSU that allows us to meet the needs of new and continuing students, and that allows these students to do more and be more,” said Robinson.

Additional fall enrollment highlights

Wichita State has offered nearly $13 million in institutional scholarships to students for fiscal year 2012, and 812 students have directly benefited from the Sedgwick County Scholars Program.
Nearly 22 percent of WSU students are ethnic minorities, and another 8.6 percent of students hail from another country. WSU remains the most diverse campus in the state of Kansas, and that means students are better prepared to operate in a global society and economy.
New undergraduates numbered 3,224, the highest at WSU in the past 10 years.
Growth in new student enrollment from throughout Kansas.
Wichita State hosts numerous programs and coordinates special outreach activities throughout the state to gain exposure to students and parents who may not be familiar with WSU.
WSU continues to recruit high-achieving students. Nearly 350 high school seniors from throughout the country participated in the Distinguished Scholarship Invitational in 2010; about 65 percent of them chose to enroll at WSU this fall. These students had an average ACT score of 27 and a GPA of 3.89.
In addition, 266 students were nominated by local high schools to be chosen as Dean’s Scholars for the 2011 freshman class. Ultimately 60 students were selected for this distinction, and 51 of them are attending Wichita State. These students had an average ACT of 29 and GPA of 3.88.