Buoyed by another increase in graduate enrollment and a new dual credit program, Angelo State University has posted a new record overall enrollment of 8,521 students for the fall 2015 semester.

Graduate enrollment reached 1,247, which is 178 more than the 1,069 grad students who enrolled last fall, a 16.7 percent increase. This marks the 12th consecutive long semester in which the College of Graduate Studies has recorded a new enrollment high.

Another major factor in the record enrollment is the 1,863 students enrolled through ASU’s new dual credit program, up from just 79 in the old program last fall. Students in 15 school districts throughout West Texas are earning both high school and ASU credit for courses taught on their high school campuses.

Increases were also seen in the number of first-time students, overall retention rate and Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) status, resulting in a total undergraduate enrollment of 5,411 students this fall, up from the 5,346 enrolled in the fall of 2014. HSI status denotes the percentage of undergraduate enrollment made up of Hispanic students.

The 2015 total fall headcount tops the previous record enrollment of 7,084 set in 2011.

ASU President Brian J. May said, “It’s exciting to see both our traditional recruiting methods and new growth strategies working to post enrollment increases in just about every category. Creative methods like our new dual credit program allow us to increase our enrollment without burdening the on-campus infrastructure. At the same time, our College of Graduate Studies continues to draw record numbers of students from West Texas and outside our region with its quality academic programs, many of which are available totally online and have received national recognition.”

The enrollment totals were counted as of the 12th class day.

Comparisons of the fall 2015 and 2014 enrollment figures were:

First-TimeUndergraduate StudentsDual CreditGraduate StudentsHSI StatusTotal
20151,3535,4111,8631,24733.4%8,521
20141,3165,346791,06932.5%6,494

Robert Duncan, chancellor of the Texas Tech University System, said, “Congratulations to Dr. May and his entire team. They have worked very hard on a comprehensive strategy to steadily and thoughtfully grow Angelo State University’s enrollment in graduate students and undergraduates. These numbers are a reflection of that commitment.”

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