For the 14th consecutive year, Illinois State University’s total fall enrollment is above 20,000. On-campus enrollment was stable at 20,762 for the 2010-11 academic year. Total on- and off-campus enrollment is 21,134. Off-campus students include College of Education graduate cohorts meeting in schools across the state, working professionals taking grant-supported courses and other students not attending classes on campus.
The on-campus enrollment total includes 3,190 new freshmen and 1,838 new transfer students, meeting almost exactly the fall 2010 enrollment goals. The quality of the freshman class is again very high with an average ACT score of over 24 and a high school GPA of 3.38. The GPA of incoming transfer students was 3.11 on a 4.0 scale.
“Illinois State continues to attract strong numbers of high-achieving students, which reflects the high-quality teaching, support and academic programs offered at the University,” said President Al Bowman. “It is gratifying to know that while the state’s economy continues to struggle, Illinois State remains a top-choice higher education environment for undergraduate and graduate students.”
The retention rate for fall 2009 new freshmen returning in fall 2010 remained very strong at 85 percent, a record high. Overall, diversity of the student body also increased. Graduate enrollment was 2,508, essentially unchanged over the past three years.
“Our goal was stable enrollment, and we met our freshman and transfer targets just about perfectly,” said Jonathan Rosenthal, associate vice president for Enrollment Management and Academic Services. “This is a sign of the continuing strength of Illinois State as we enter a particularly competitive period for recruiting top quality students.”
Illinois State Enrollment by the Numbers
Fall 2010 Fall 2009
Total Enrollment 20,762 20,856
Undergraduate Students 18,254 18,344
Graduate Students 2,508 2,512
New Freshmen 3,190 3,033
New Transfers 1,838 1,926
Total Students from Underrepresented Groups 2,724 2,494
Enrollment by College
Fall 2010 Fall 2009
College of Applied Science and Technology 3,973 3,897
College of Arts and Sciences 6,405 6,290
College of Business 3,331 3,467
College of Education 3,069 3,139
College of Fine Arts 1,202 1,202
Mennonite College of Nursing 456 377
