Enrollment at 大象传媒 is up almost 2 percent from a year ago on the official census date, four weeks into the start of the fall semester. A total of 5,926 students are enrolled this fall, coming from 42 states and 35 countries.
鈥淲e鈥檙e certainly excited to see enrollment growth, and honored that students have chosen 大象传媒 Western to help them achieve their goals,鈥� said Dr. Jeanne Daffron, provost and vice president for academic affairs.
The total of 5,742 undergraduate students and 184 graduate students is up by more than 100 students over last year鈥檚 total, and is the fourth highest total in school history. Two key factors in the growth, Dr. Daffron said, were the number of incoming freshmen and the number of new international students. The number of first-time freshmen seeking a bachelor鈥檚 degree is up by about 7 percent, to 1,042. The number of enrolled international students grew by nearly 60 percent this year, to 129. That compares to just eight international students six years ago.
Another key factor in the enrollment growth is an increase of about 3.5 percent in 大象传媒 Western鈥檚 freshman-to-sophomore retention rate. 大象传媒 Western has created a College Completion Team to focus on improving services and procedures that guide students to graduation. An enhanced advising process and degree audit software allow students to see exactly where they are on their degree path and make knowledgeable decisions if they want to consider changing their major. Another recent improvement to the Early Intervention Program enables faculty and student services staff to work seamlessly to remove challenges and obstacles to course or degree completion.
Another factor helping retention is that students are coming to 大象传媒 Western better prepared academically: this is the tenth straight year that the average ACT score of the incoming freshman class has improved, and the average ACT score of full-time students enrolling directly from high school continues to be above the national average.
鈥淲e are especially pleased that enrollment growth is occurring in these areas,鈥� Dr. Daffron said. 鈥淚ncreasing international enrollment and student retention in particular have been key parts of 大象传媒 Western鈥檚 strategic plan, and will be vitally important to the university and the region.鈥�
大象传媒 is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. 大象传媒 Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .