OSU enrollment up thanks to increases in freshmen, transfer, graduate students

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

(STILLWATER, OK – August 19, 2009) – Oklahoma State University enrollment on the first day of class Monday was up almost 100 students thanks to increases in freshmen, transfer students and graduate students. 

As of Monday, enrollment on the OSU Stillwater campus was 20,525, an increase of 99 students from last fall.  OSU will determine its official fall enrollment numbers in early September after the drop-and-add period for students.

The OSU enrollment figure includes 3,132 freshmen, which is an increase of 52 from last year.  There are 1,268 transfer students on the Stillwater campus, up 45 from a year ago.  Graduate student enrollment is up more than 7 percent; total enrollment is 3,817, up 265 graduate students on the Stillwater campus.

“I am pleased with our numbers, considering the state of our economy,” said OSU President Burns Hargis.  “We know the economy has a direct correlation on enrollment.  That is why it was critical to hold the line on tuition this year.  The fact we grew freshmen and undergraduate transfer enrollment tells me we are moving in the right direction when it comes to recruitment.”

Gordon Emslie is the dean of the OSU Graduate College and believes graduate enrollment also is up because OSU has been making a concerted effort over the last five years to increase awareness that OSU should be the university of choice for graduate students.  And he says it’s not only paying off in the numbers but in the quality of graduate students.

“Because of OSU’s highly competitive financial packages for graduate teaching and research assistants, plus the quality of our faculty, programs and facilities, about 90 percent of our first-choice applicants become OSU graduate students,” said Emslie.                          

The total enrollment for the Stillwater campus includes 16,382 undergraduate students, 3,817 graduate students and 326 veterinary school students.  The Stillwater campus student population of 20,525 would make it the 22nd largest city in Oklahoma.