UCA announced it has seen a record increase in incoming student enrollment and an overall enrollment increase of 3.4%

According to a press release by the university, it “welcomed one of its largest incoming freshman classes with 2,183 students, marking a 26% increase in incoming students from fall 2023, according to preliminary data.”

According to Institutional Research, UCA saw a drop in freshman enrollment in previous fall semesters.

• In fall 2023, freshman enrollment was 2,097
• In fall 2022, freshman enrollment was 2,200
• In fall 2021, freshman enrollment was 2,260
• In fall 2020, freshman enrollment was 2, 115
• In fall 2019, freshman enrollment was 2,218

Kevin Thomas, vice president for enrollment services and student success, said UCA Commitment played a huge part in increased freshman enrollment.

“The decision for future Bears and their families to consider UCA is not an overnight decision,” he said. “Over the past several years, we have worked hard to communicate and show what the UCA community has to offer to high school sophomores and juniors so that as students enter their senior year, they know that UCA will be their home. UCA Commitment aided in that relationship and commitment to the students’ opportunity to continue their educational journey here on campus. We are so pleased to have 765 students within the UCA Commitment community this fall and look forward to all of their successes. The continued energy and buzz from UCA Commitment, both on campus and while out recruiting, shines a spotlight on the bright future ahead for UCA and all of our students.”

According to the press release, fall 2024 enrollment is 10,123 — a 3.4% increase from last fall.

• In fall 2023, overall enrollment was 9,790
• In fall 2022, overall enrollment was 9,913
• In fall 2021, overall enrollment was 10,105
• In fall 2020, overall enrollment was 10,335
• In fall 2019, overall enrollment was 10,869

According to the press release, “This year’s UCA Commitment cohort is 765, comprising approximately a third of the total incoming class.”

The press release also highlighted graduate student enrollment numbers.

“Fall 2024 is another tremendous step in graduate enrollment. With graduate school enrollment, we were pleased to have another year of over 1,840 students,” Thomas said. “Continued strong enrollment in the College of Education and Health and Behavioral Sciences accounts for approximately 75% of all graduate school enrollment.”

• In fall 2023, graduate enrollment was 1,906
• In fall 2022, graduate enrollment was 1,919
• In fall 2021, graduate enrollment was 1,861
• In fall 2020, graduate enrollment was 1,720
• In fall 2019, graduate enrollment was 1,735

Thomas said the new FAFSA rollout was a challenge for all of higher education, but UCA was still able to see an enrollment increase.

“After the new form was released months behind schedule, the form had errors and issues that left campuses unable to package aid or provide a solid view of what that aid package would look like until May and, in the case of some campuses, even later,” Thomas said. “Thankfully, our amazing Financial Aid and Information Technology teams at UCA had us providing financial aid packaging information to students in early May — one of the first in the state to do so.

“Nationwide, the FAFSA rollout issues have made higher education and the choice in college more difficult this last year,” he said. “I am so thankful for the work of our Admissions, Financial Aid, and Strategic Enrollment Communication team for their continued outreach to both incoming and continuing UCA students. The new FAFSA form wasn’t just a new student issue but with continued outreach, FAFSA Workshops, and updates on what students should do next, UCA students were able to more easily navigate this situation compared to a lot of their friends on other campuses.”

Thomas said while official enrollment data for 2024 is not out, returning student enrollment is “incredibly close to last year.”

“We had just under 6,100 returning students to UCA,” he said.

Amber Hall, director of Institutional Research, said information on student credit hours for fall 2024 will not be available until later in the semester.

Previously reported in The Echo, the total student credit hour production measured 121,843 hours in fall 2023 — a 1.2% decrease from fall 2022 and a 10.7% decrease from fall 2019.

• In fall 2022, total student credit hours measured 123,285
• In fall 2021, total student credit hours measured 125,285
• In fall 2020, total student credit hours measured 131,015
• In fall 2019, total student credit hours measured 136,426

According to the press release, the incoming class represents the largest year-to-year increase in 25 years. It is the second-largest incoming freshman class among all Arkansas four-year universities for the ninth consecutive fall.