Adams State enrollment second highest in history

(09-10-2012)

Adams State University's fall enrollment is just six students short of tying last year's all-time record. The total student headcount of 3,724 includes 843 graduate students, according to Dr. Michael Mumper, senior vice president for Enrollment Management and Program Development.

"We are pleased to report our second highest enrollment ever," Mumper said. "Although our freshman class is somewhat smaller, we increased continuing students and graduate students. We lost some undergraduates due to changes in financial aid, but had gains from our growing NCAA athletics programs."

The 2012 Adams State University Freshman Class, which boasts a growing number of national merit scholarship winners.

Graduate enrollment hit another high and is up 2.5 percent over last year, nearly offsetting an undergraduate decrease of under 1 percent, Mumper noted. The 2012 freshman class totals 525 this year, compared to last year's 579, which was the largest freshman class in Adams State's history.

Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management Eric Carpio said, "We're very happy with the academic quality of this year's freshman class, which has a larger number of merit scholarship recipients - students in the top tiers of high school GPA and ACT/SAT scores. This is part of an intentional strategy to improve student success and retention."

Mumper explained the university has become more competitive in recruiting top students and is able to award more merit-based institutional scholarships. Adams State is simultaneously decreasing admission of significantly underprepared students who have a lower chance of succeeding.

The largest undergraduate major is business administration, with 392 students, followed by nursing, with 187. Other programs reflecting growth this fall include chemistry, earth sciences, history/government/philosophy, math, physics, psychology, and sociology.

Graduate program growth is led by Counselor Education, which increased 12 percent to 482 students, most of whom are enrolled online. The Master's of Business Administration program, also offered online, now numbers 81 students, an increase of 22 percent over last year.

Adams State's undergraduate student body is almost 32 percent Hispanic, with an additional 15.5 percent of students identifying as members of other ethnic/racial minority groups. Female students account for 52 percent of the undergraduate student body - similar to national trends.

By Julie Waechter