Freshman class at Kansas’ flagship university grows for third straight year

LAWRENCE — Enrollment numbers released today show that for the third year in a row, the University of Kansas freshman class has grown.

KU has 4,084 new freshmen on campus — an increase of 2.1 percent from last year’s total of 4,000 — enrolling nearly 28,000 Jayhawks this fall.

“Trends for the last three years show us that more and more first-year students want to be part of a major public research university that consistently earns high rankings for its academic programs,” said Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little.

This year’s freshman class is also the most diverse in KU history. More than 23.6 percent are minority students, up from nearly 22 percent last year. The university’s nearly 2,500 international students set another record.

More than 16 percent of KU freshman have an ACT score of 30 or higher.

“It is no coincidence that KU is increasingly attracting high-achieving students,” Gray-Little said. “As we’ve outlined in Bold Aspirations, KU is heavily invested in first-year intellectual experiences.”

KU is among the few public Association of American Universities institutions to specifically include study abroad, undergraduate research and internships in undergraduate curriculum, with the KU Core Curriculum introduced last year.

Part of that curriculum are First-Year Seminars. The university increased the number of sections to 25 this fall, enrolling 415 students — a jump from 20 sections and 315 students last year.

This fall, the university introduced a progression and graduation plan that focuses on three areas: the academic experience, advising and removing barriers to earning a degree.

KU set a record for the percentage of students graduating in four years with the students who entered the university in fall 2010. The number of students who continue at KU from their freshman to sophomore year is the highest it’s been in the past seven years.

“Once students have decided to become Jayhawks, it’s not enough to just have them enrolled,” Gray-Little said. “The KU community wants to see them succeed.”

Today, KU is working to become a national leader in redesigning courses, particularly gateway courses in which some first-year students struggle.

“By investing in course redesign, we can improve learning and students’ progress toward their goal — a KU degree,” said Jeffrey S. Vitter, provost and executive vice chancellor.

The university’s overall enrollment this fall has grown to 27,983. The data released today reflect university’s progress from fall 2013:

• More students are enrolled in the schools of Engineering, Business, Nursing, Education, Social Welfare, Pharmacy, Law, Journalism and Architecture, Design & Planning.

• The overall minority student enrollment is at an all-time high of 18 percent.

• All eight undergraduate programs at the KU Edwards Campus increased in student credit hours.

• The number of Lawrence and Edwards campuses credit hours enrolled online increased 69 percent.

The university is working to bring in next year’s class of Jayhawks, said Matt Melvin, vice provost of enrollment management.

“KU students are scholars invested in contributing to their education,” Melvin said. “We are the top choice for high-ability Kansas students and their families. Students who are looking for a quintessential college experience in a challenging and supportive environment are encouraged to apply by Nov. 1.”