ASU System Fall Preliminary Enrollment Reaches 23,331 Students
09/08/2015
LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas State University System campuses today reported preliminary 11th day fall enrollment of 23,331 students, which is a 1.1 percent increase over the previous year.
Dr. Charles L. Welch, president of the ASU System, said he’s grateful to the students who have chosen ASU campuses and online programs to continue their education.
“We know students have many options and considerations,” Welch said. “Our campuses are continually working to meet student needs and requests in the areas of academics, campus services and financial aid. Whether a student is seeking an advanced, research-based education or immediate specialized job training, I’m confident our campuses are fulfilling their mission.”
11th Day Preliminary 11th Day Final
Fall 2015 Fall 2014 Change
Arkansas State University 13,410 13,144 +2.0%
ASU-Beebe 3,969 4,140 -4.1%
ASU-Newport 2,623 2,494 +5.2%
ASU-Mountain Home 1,384 1,393 0.0%
ASU Mid-South 1,945 1,895* +2.6%
Total ASU System 23,331 23,066* +1.1%
* Includes 2014 enrollment of Mid-South Community College, now ASU Mid-South, prior to joining ASU System.
Arkansas State University reported enrollment of 13,410 students, up 2 percent from 13,144 students on the Jonesboro campus last year. A-State’s first-year retention rate increased from 74.5 percent to a record 76 percent, and the overall high school grade-point average of first-time freshmen rose for the fourth consecutive year to 3.51.
A-State also has the state’s largest university online program with 19 bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and certificate offerings. Fall enrollment in online classes exceeded 3,000 for the first time.
At ASU-Newport, the student count jumped from 2,494 to 2,623, a 5.2 percent increase. Newport reported growth in concurrent enrollment and its prison education program.
ASU Mid-South, formerly Mid-South Community College, in West Memphis is included in the ASU System report for the first time after becoming the newest member of the system on July 1. Mid-South reported preliminary enrollment of 1,945 students, up 2.6 percent from 1,895 last fall. Growth is attributed to a rise in on-campus concurrent enrollment, primarily in technical programs such as welding, machining and diesel technology.
The ASU-Mountain Home campus reported relatively flat enrollment, down just nine students from 1,393 in 2014 to 1,384 in 2015. ASU-Beebe’s 3,969 head count for the fall is 4.1 percent lower that its 2014 total of 4,140.
The ASU System serves 23,331 students throughout Arkansas and includes Arkansas State University, a four-year research institution in Jonesboro; ASU-Beebe, with additional campuses in Heber Springs and Searcy; ASU-Newport, with additional campuses in Jonesboro and Marked Tree; ASU-Mountain Home; ASU Mid-South; and instructional sites in Paragould and at the Little Rock Air Force Base. For more information about the ASU System, visit ASUSystem.edu or follow on Twitter @ASUSystem.
