FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – For the fourth-consecutive year, the University of Arkansas has set an overall enrollment record with 33,610 students beginning the fall semester. The new record, which includes undergraduate, graduate and law students, includes an increase of more than 1,500 students.
The 11th day census “snapshot,” required by the Arkansas Division of Higher Education, indicates that overall enrollment at the U of A has increased by 4.6% over the previous year, part of a 22% increase during the last five years.
This year’s freshman class is the second largest in school history with 6,614 students, nearly 500 students shy of the record 7,096 in 2022. Despite the controlled growth of the incoming class, overall enrollment has grown partially due to the university’s increasing retention rates, which have grown to 85% or above since 2020. This year’s freshman class is also the most prepared class in school history.
Overall, more Arkansans are enrolled at the U of A than ever before as the university broke its previous record for the fourth year in a row, welcoming 16,519 students from the Natural State. In the last five years, the university has increased its enrollment among Arkansans by more than 10%.
“The University of Arkansas is excited to welcome another amazing freshman class with the highest incoming GPA ever for our campus,” said Suzanne McCray, vice provost for enrollment and dean of admission. “With other outstanding new and continuing students, they join a vibrant campus that includes a record number of Arkansans being taught here, a record for our institution and for our state. The growth now is great news for the campus as it points to a healthy future for enrollment even through projected demographic changes in the state and beyond it.”
The U of A also set a record with 28,859 undergraduate students enrolled, an increase of 5% from a year ago. The university now has 4,355 graduate students enrolled, the second-largest graduate class. The law school enrolled more than 370 students for the second-consecutive year, growing its total enrollment by 9% since 2019.
The university’s growth provides an example of the continued commitment to its land-grant mission of providing access to higher education and supporting student success, one of the pillars of the U of A’s 150 Forward Strategic Plan.
Enrollment numbers may change slightly as corrections are made, reviewed and officially reported by ADHE in October.
About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas’ flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes billions to the Arkansas economy, through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.
