Colorado State University welcomes largest incoming class while maintaining high rate of student success
Largest freshman class and number of transfers. Ever. Largest total enrollment. Ever. Most diverse incoming student cohort. Ever.
Colorado State University enrollment for fall 2016 reaches all of those impressive milestones – and more. In addition, CSU continues to be Colorado’s school of choice, with the most recent state reports showing more freshman students from Colorado high schools attending CSU than any other university in the state. This enrollment success comes as CSU students see greater efficiency to graduation, success in the job market following graduation, and overwhelmingly say that they would choose CSU again.
CSU’s newest freshman class includes 5,036 students – a 5.9 percent increase over the previous record of 4,737 achieved in 2015. Add in 1,674 transfer students and the total number of new CSU students is 6,630. This record number pushes CSU’s total enrollment to 33,198 students – a 3 percent increase over the previous high of 32,236 in 2015.
At the same time, CSU continues to add more diversity to its student body, with 24.6 percent of the new class racially diverse. And the new class includes students from every state and the District of Columbia, illustrating the University’s broad national appeal.
“We are pleased that a record number of students are connecting with our academic programs, student success initiatives, and our caring and unique community of faculty and staff which helps students reach their academic and career goals,” said Melissa Trifiletti, CSU’s director of admissions. “The entire campus community engaged with admissions to bring in this class, and as a result, care deeply about their success. It’s an amazing time to be a Ram.”
Now more than 67 percent of students graduate within six years of starting at CSU. University officials point to the six-year rate as a good indicator of student success because it takes into account student involvement in education abroad programs, internships and service learning, which can delay graduation. Even with these factors, 44.8 percent of CSU graduates complete in four years and 53.2 percent graduate within four-and-a-half years.
And programs like the Academic Advancement Center, put in place to help CSU’s 8,500 low-income, first-generation and disabled students earn degrees, are helping all students achieve academic success. Similarly, numerous campus learning communities, which provide like-minded students with supportive, academics-focused environments, have been tremendously successful in helping students progress toward graduation.
As a result of these and other student-support programs, more than 90 percent of recent graduates say they would choose CSU again.
“We are delighted that students from all corners of Colorado – and far beyond – are choosing CSU to take advantage of our outstanding degree programs, interact with our world-class faculty and enjoy our beautiful campus here in Fort Collins,” said Rick Miranda, CSU’s provost. “We’re gaining a well-deserved reputation for student success; our students are graduating in record numbers, prepared for careers and/or further study. We strive to be an affordable option for students and families, while not compromising on quality or student support.”
Other enrollment highlights include:
• CSU continues to be the school of choice for Colorado high school graduates, according to the most recent reports from the Colorado Department of Higher Education.
• CSU continues to be an attractive choice for both two-year and four-year transfer students, with 1,674 enrolling this fall – a 1.3 percent increase since 2015.
• CSU’s growing reputation as veteran-friendly campus led to 871 veterans and/or their dependents to enroll.
• CSU’s total of 33,198 students marks the first time total enrollment has surpassed 33,000.
The addition of students studying through Semester at Sea, which officially made CSU its academic home in June, contributes to CSU’s enrollment figures. International students in the academic English program and students who enrolled for summer classes are also included in CSU’s total of new students contributing to the record freshman class and record number of transfer students for the 2016 fall semester.
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