The University of Colorado at Boulder welcomed its largest freshman class ever this fall, with 5,617 new first-time students enrolled on Sept. 15, the date of the official census count for 2006.
This year's freshman class is larger than the previous record of 5,571 in 2003 and more than 600 students larger than last year. Colorado residents number 3,277, the largest number ever and 58 percent of the total. The large freshman class resulted, in part, from greater than anticipated numbers of admitted students deciding to enroll at CU-Boulder. Yield numbers - the percentage of admitted freshmen who enroll - increased this year over last, from 23 percent to 25 percent for nonresidents and from 48 percent to 50 percent for residents.
"The fact that students are choosing Colorado in numbers higher than we had previously predicted is one more sign of the tremendous positive momentum overtaking this campus," said CU-Boulder Chancellor G.P. "Bud" Peterson.
In addition to the large increase in freshman yield, retention rates for nonresident continuing students also were much higher than projected. Increases in both yield and retention may be due to several new programs begun in the last two years. One policy, started in 2005, guarantees a tuition-rate freeze for four years, providing cost-certainty to families of out-of-state students. The Chancellor's Achievement Scholarship, introduced in 2005, awards $15,000 over four years to students whose academic qualifications put them in the top 25 percent of nonresident admits, and the President's Scholarship, introduced in 2006, awards $40,000 to a select group within those top students.
Fall 2006 also is the second year of the CU Promise Program. This program guarantees that eligible Colorado residents from low-income families will be able to afford the academic costs of a CU education without going into debt. CU-Boulder offers eligible resident students a financial aid award package that includes a combination of grants, scholarships and a work-study award sufficient to fund the student share of tuition, fees and estimated book expenses. The fall 2006 program includes 127 students.
Kevin MacLennan, director of admissions, said "I think the opportunity to participate in a great undergraduate educational experience at CU-Boulder is in the forefront of people's minds as they make the decision about what college to attend." Freshman applications increased from last year by 6 percent overall, to more than 18,000.
The number of ethnic minority freshmen is up by 20 percent over last year, from 737 to 884. Minority freshman enrollment increased across the board, with Asian Americans up 14 percent, African Americans up 18 percent, Hispanics/Latinos up 19 percent and American Indians more than doubling. Minority freshman enrollment among Colorado residents increased by 11 percent, and among out-of-state freshmen by 55 percent.
Total minority enrollment is up 98 over fall 2005 for undergraduates, and up 118 overall. Minorities now constitute 15 percent of undergraduates and 14.4 percent of all students, up 14.7 percent and 14.2 percent, respectively, from last fall.
Enrollment of international students increased by 10 percent from 912 to 1,003, led by an increase of 60 percent in new international graduate-level students, from 127 to 203.
Despite the record freshman class, overall undergraduate enrollment increased only 1 percent to 24,484, as many members of the large freshman class of 2002 have graduated, while the relatively small classes in 2004 and 2005 contributed to a lower total. Graduate-level and total enrollment also showed 1 percent increases, to 4,458 and 28,942 respectively. New graduate student enrollment increased to 1,286, up 77 or 6 percent from last year's 1,209.
Academic credentials of entering freshmen are statistically very similar to those seen in 2005. High school grades, class ranks, and ACT test scores are nearly identical to the prior year. Average SAT scores show a drop consistent with decreases nationally in these scores.
A total of 1,244 transfer students enrolled, 60 fewer than last year or a decrease of 5 percent. Resident transfers dropped by 64 while nonresident transfers increased by four. Academic preparation of transfers was about the same, with an average transfer grade-point average of 3.18, compared to 3.16 in 2005.
Among undergraduates, psychology remains by far the most popular major with 1,794 students, followed by integrative physiology with 1,089. Other majors with more than 700 students include political science, English, finance, marketing, and molecular, cellular and developmental biology.
For more information check the following Web sites on overall enrollment: Total degree-seeking vs. not degree-seeking, over time enrollment by college: new vs. continuing students: student information including diversity for fall 2006 vs. fall 2005 and most popular undergraduate majors: .