Feeling no lingering effects on enrollment after two pandemic years, area universities say they are welcoming new students to campus at historic rates this fall semester.
Both Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma, with their Tulsa branches contributing, reported starting school last week with their largest ever freshman classes.
Meanwhile, the University of Tulsa topped them both, at least as far as percentage increase in freshmen.
While the numbers are still preliminary, OSU reported a fall 2022 freshmen enrollment of 4,668 — 375 more than the previous high and a 9% increase from last year’s 4,250.
OSU President Kayse Shrum called the mark a “historic milestone” and “a testament to the strength of our academic programs, dedicated faculty and staff, and our unwavering commitment to provide a world-class education.”
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“We were expecting to have record-setting freshman enrollment this semester,” she added, “but to surpass the previous record by so much is truly remarkable.”
Enrollment numbers for all schools are not final, with the official numbers to be determined in the next few weeks.
Trends in OSU’s new fall class include an increase in first-generation students, along with a record number of freshmen representing the top 5% of their high school classes, officials said.
The record freshman class contributes to a total enrollment increase for OSU of 4% over last year, officials said. The university now boasts 24,692 students between its Stillwater and OSU-Tulsa campuses, with 50 states and 113 countries represented.
OU’s preliminary freshman count is 4,704 for the fall — a more modest 2.7% increase over last year’s 4,582, which was also the previous record.
By the time the final fall numbers are tallied, OU officials anticipate having around 32,000 students among all campuses. The university had 31,255 students last fall.
“The class of 2026 is truly exceptional, and the next in line to inherit over a century of OU excellence,” OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. said. “We look forward to seeing the positive impact they will make here at OU and on the world beyond our campus.”
Although not a record class, the University of Tulsa’s percentage increase in freshmen from last year actually beat both OU’s and OSU’s.
With a preliminary count of 668 freshmen compared to 583 last year, the university saw a 14.6% jump.
TU officials said that with transfers they welcomed a total of 789 new students this semester, growth that they credit in part to efforts to add new programs while strengthening existing ones.
Among its distinctions, the class represents TU’s most racially diverse group while also featuring the highest percentage of female students, officials said.
Angela Caddell, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education spokeswoman, said the increase in freshman enrollment at universities is a good sign and that the regents hope at least one thing it signals is that the word is getting out that higher education is key to securing good jobs.
The most recent data, she said, shows that “by 2028, 66 of Oklahoma’s 100 critical occupations will require an associate’s degree or higher.”
Caddell said other factors behind the growth could include recent changes to the Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship program, which saw the family income limit for eligibility increased, and the enrollment of new students who delayed starting previously due to the pandemic.
As for Oral Roberts University and Northeastern State University, they do not release enrollment numbers before they are finalized, officials said.
However, ORU spokesman Charles Scott did note that the trends are positive for ORU, with international student numbers especially encouraging.
“Once the official census date arrives, we will release a formal statement on enrollment for the fall semester,” he said.
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