Bumpers College enrollment increases 5.8 percent
Bumpers College enrollment increased for the 13th straight year to a new record total of 1,772 students, an increase of 5.8 percent over fall 2008. Undergraduate enrollment totaled 1,429 this fall compared to 1,388 last fall. Graduate student enrollment increased from 284 to 312.
Campus enrollment of 19,849 students is also a record and is a 3.4 percent increase over last fall, which is one of the largest increases in recent years.
The state of Arkansas requires institutions of higher education to report enrollment figures for students who are registered on the 11th day of classes. The enrollment numbers are not officially reported to the state until later, and there are often differences between the 11th day "snapshot" and the final enrollment numbers.
Total undergraduate enrollment for the campus is up 2.7 percent to 15,835 students, and total graduate enrollment is up 7.3 percent to 3,616 students. Enrollment at the School of Law is unchanged at 398 students.
Approximately 4.3 percent more students chose to stay enrolled in the university this year than in 2008. There also was a small increase this year in the number of students transferring from other institutions.
In-state students make up 69.5 percent of the student body. Enrollment of out-of-state students increased 9.7 percent from last year, and international student enrollment is up 11.5 percent.
Minority enrollment now makes up 14.3 percent of the student population at the university. The 1,040 African American students make up the largest minority group, comprising 5.2 percent of the student population. There are 699 Hispanic students (3.5 percent of total enrollment); 486 Asian American students (2.4 percent); 331 American Indian students (1.7 percent); 13 Hawaiian students (less than 0.1 percent); 272 students of two or more races (1.4 percent); and 1,156 students who identify themselves as citizens of a foreign country (5.8 percent). A total of 180 students (0.9 percent) did not provide information.
Men make up 51.4 percent of the student body, 48.6 percent of the students are women. This split is on par with 2008, when men comprised 51 percent of the student body, and women 49 percent.