Colorado State Announces Record Enrollment Fueled by Freshman Class that Boasts High Index Scores, Increased Diversity

Colorado State University, fueled by a second consecutive record freshman class, today announced a continuation of the school’s recent trend of enrolling a larger number of students who continue to enhance diversity on campus.

Enrollment figures released today, following the university’s official census of students, show that the total number of students seeking degrees at Colorado State rose to 24,735, an increase of 3.3 percent over last year. A 2.9 percent increase in entering freshman – the largest incoming class in university history at 3,829 students – helped push this year’s record enrollment.

Another positive trend reported today is the increase in diversity in the university student body, and again the incoming freshman class helped drive this improvement. In this year’s freshman class, 395 resident students are considered ethnic minorities, an increase of 9.1 percent over last year. Overall, ethnic minorities make up 11.3 percent of Colorado State’s student population – an all-time high.

In addition, despite some issues regarding student visas, international student enrollment at the university is higher this year. In this census, the university reports 920 international students, up from the 912 international students last year.

The incoming freshman class showed an increase in both Colorado resident and non-resident enrollments. The number of in-state students choosing Colorado State increased by more than 3.6 percent to 2,907. Non-resident freshman enrollment also increased slightly, up 1 percent to 922 students. Overall, Coloradoans account for 78 percent of the university’s total enrollment.

This fall’s incoming class sustained the high level of academic preparation, matching the 110 index score of last year, which matches the highest such level in the institution’s history. The index is a combined measure of standardized test scores and high-school academic performance. Resident freshmen posted an average index of 109 while non-resident freshmen had an average index of 111.

"We’re pleased that Colorado State is attracting so many bright students from our state and from around the country," said President Albert C. Yates. "Colorado State is an institution that is dedicated to student learning and accomplishment, and these entering students understand and want to be part of that kind of quality learning environment."

In addition to a record freshman class, Colorado State continues to draw large numbers of transfer students. This semester there are 1,352 new undergraduate, resident transfer students, an increase of 3.5 percent.

The number of incoming graduate students also was up for the fall, posting a 5.5 percent increase. Overall, graduate students make up 17 percent of the university’s total enrollment.

"Each year we are witnessing an increase in demand for a Colorado State University education from some of the state and nation’s top students. This trend reflects our outstanding faculty and a universitywide commitment to maintaining Colorado State as one of the nation’s premier institutions of higher learning," Yates said.