Perlman: 2005 Fall enrollment improved, strides made in numerous areas

Reported enrollment at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is 21,675 total students for the fall semester as of Aug. 31 - a drop of 117 students compared to fall 2004 - but an improvement over fall 2004 figures based on first-time freshman students which improved 9 percent, UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman announced today.

First-time freshman headcount is up 294 students, to 3,560, from 3,266 in fall 2004, for an increase of 9 percent over last year. Average ACT score for students is 24.9, up from 24.8 last year. UNL showed enrollment increases among students of color and transfer students, and overall credit-hour production is up 0.5 percent, meaning although there are fewer students, they are taking more classes, Perlman said.

"I'm encouraged by the data from our fall enrollment and I'm pleased that our determination last year to put our entire university community behind our renewed recruiting effort has paid off," Perlman said. "I applaud our admissions office and our entire campus community for their efforts. We have some work to do in continuing to grow our enrollment, but we're on the right track. Students want to choose Nebraska."

Admissions efforts have focused on the campus-visit experience, targeting growing out-of-state suburban markets, continued recruitment of students from across Nebraska, and increasing transfer students. According to other data collected, entering first-time freshmen are the most diverse group of students yet, increasing 25.7 percent over last year. In 2005, 9.8 percent of first-time freshmen are students of color, up from 8.5 percent last year. Among the entire undergraduate class, 8.2 percent are students of color, compared to 7.5 percent last year. Transfer students are up 53 over last year, to 930.

The colleges showing the largest enrollment increases are the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, up 42; College of Arts and Sciences, up 37; Education and Human Sciences, up 25.

The fall semester registrations are reported annually to the Provost of the University of Nebraska based on six-day census figures from the campus Institutional Research and Planning offices. There are some late enrollments from emergency admissions from students displaced by Hurricane Katrina, which aren't reflected in the data released today.

For more details, see nebraska.edu

Contact: Meg Lauerman, University Communications, (402) 472-0296