ASC hits highest enrollment in history (09-16-2009)
Adams State College is breaking records with the highest enrollment in its 85-year history: 3,369 total students, up 17.9 percent from last year.
Adams State Provost Michael Mumper said, "This is a historic year for Adams State - the first time enrollment has exceeded 3,000. We have a record number of both undergraduate and graduate students."
As of the fall semester census date, Sept. 9, undergraduate enrollment is 2,686, with graduate students at 683. The college's previous record enrollment was 2,978 in 1970, when undergraduates numbered 2,524.
"The size of our freshmen class increased by almost 10 percent, while maintaining the increased quality standards set last year," noted Director of Admissions Eric Carpio. The freshman class increased from 490 in 2008 to 535 this year. We also have 12 valedictorians in our freshmen class, including one Boettcher Scholar. Six are from SLV schools, 4 are from other Colorado schools, and one each is from Maryland and Texas."
Adams State's freshman academic profile has increased significantly in the last two years, as measured by CCHE index, which combines HS GPA, class rank, and ACT/SAT scores. ASC's minimum index is 80, established by the state of Colorado. In 2007, the average index score was 91, with 24 percent of freshman holding an index over 100. The average index increased to 94 last year, a level maintained in 2009. This year, 34% of freshmen have a 100 index or higher, and 30 students have a 120 index or higher, compared to 17 in both 2008 and 2007.
Mumper attributed the growth to several factors, particularly improved recruiting and retention. "Eric Carpio and his Admissions staff did an incredible job and exceeded our goals," Mumper said. "The past two years we have admitted freshman classes with higher academic profiles, and we are finding now that those students are performing better and are staying in college at a higher rate."
Adams State's student body continues to exhibit a high level of diversity, with non-white students accounting for 38 percent of undergraduates. Total undergraduate Hispanic enrollment is 29.3 percent, with 5.4 percent African American, 2 percent Native American/Alaskan, and 1.5 percent Asian/Pacific Islanders.
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