Freshman Class Size, Diversity and Quality Boosts Colorado State University as Part of Record Fall Enrollment for 2000

Colorado State University today released fall enrollment figures that boost the school to 23,098 students – a figure bolstered by a freshman class that is the largest, most diverse and among the best academically prepared in school history.

University officials, in announcing today’s fall enrollment, point to the freshman class as continuing the recent trend of attracting more Colorado residents, more diverse students and students with high-quality academic credentials. Colorado State announces enrollment figures after the first two weeks of class.

Total freshman enrollment is 3,314, a 6 percent increase over last fall. This freshman class includes 14 percent diverse students, a 2 percent increase over last year. This increase in diversity in the freshman class has helped fuel an increase in diverse students on campus to 11 percent of the total student body, the highest percentage ever at Colorado State.

In addition, this freshman class has an average index score of 109, matching last year’s average as the highest for an entering class at Colorado State. The Colorado Commission on Higher Education index is a combination of a student’s high school rank and standardized test scores.

Colorado residents continue to make up the largest share of the freshman class, with 2,525 in-state students enrolling at the university, good for a 6 percent increase in new freshman from Colorado over last fall. Also, the number of non-resident students in the freshman class is up 29 students over last year, with 789 in this freshman class, good for a 4 percent increase in out-of-state students.

"Colorado State continues to be the university of choice for Colorado residents, while also attracting outstanding students from around the country. We think this is due, in large part, to our ongoing commitment to provide a high-quality undergraduate education and to a world-class faculty that dedicate themselves to what our students know and are able to do when they graduate," said Colorado State President Albert C. Yates.

In overall enrollment, this fall’s total of 23,098 students represents an increase of 1.4 percent over last fall.

Another bright spot in the fall enrollment figures comes from the graduate school. Although many graduate programs around the country are experiencing drops in the numbers of students, Colorado State today announced a graduate school enrollment of 3,494 students, an increase of 1.2 percent over last year.

International student enrollment held steady, up to 820 students this year, good for about a 4 percent increase over last year’s total of 791 students, despite difficult economic conditions in Asia – a prime recruiting area for the university.