Enrollment reaches highest level in nine years

Final fall enrollment numbers at UW–Madison reveal the largest student population since 1992.

UW–Madison has enrolled 41,511 students for the fall semester, representing a 0.7 percent increase from last year’s total of 41,219. Of that number, there are 28,831 undergraduates, including 6,099 new students, the largest group of new undergraduates in school history.

The university’s professional schools enrolled 2,338 students this fall: 837 in the Law School, 688 in the School of Medicine, 500 in the School of Pharmacy and 313 in the School of Veterinary Medicine. There were 2,374 professional students last fall.

Total minority enrollment is 3,770, up 1.6 percent from last year’s total of 3,710.

There are 389 targeted undergraduate students of color among first-year students, a 6.9 percent increase from last year’s total of 364. Of this year’s new students, 147 are African American (up by 19), 25 are American Indian or Alaskan Native (down by five), 75 are Southeast Asian (down by four) and 142 are Hispanic (up by 15).

Paul Barrows, vice chancellor for student affairs, says the university will continue to focus on Plan 2008 initiatives to improve campus diversity. He says the Pre-College Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence (PEOPLE) is preparing targeted students of color for success at UW–Madison.

“PEOPLE is giving capable students the academic and financial tools they need to succeed here,” Barrows says. PEOPLE students attend on-campus learning opportunities during middle and high school. Students who successfully complete the program and enroll at UW–Madison receive full tuition scholarships.

However, Barrows says the university faces a new challenge in recruiting minorities with the recent out-of-state tuition increase. The UW System Board of Regents passed a 10.4 percent tuition increase for non-resident students last summer. However, the Legislature and governor added an additional 5 percent, bringing the total increase to 15.4 percent.

“I worry that tuition increases for out-of-state students are pricing us right out of the non-resident student market in general, with a particularly heavy impact on students of color from out of state,” Barrows says.

Other figures reveal that the university continues to enroll more women than men. There are 21,636 women enrolled at UW–Madison, making up a bit more than 52 percent of the overall student body. There are 19,875 men attending classes at UW–Madison.

There are also 3,618 international students on campus, a 2.6 percent increase from last year’s count of 3,525.