ACU may welcome more than 5,000 students this fall, said Buck James, assistant vice president for enrollment management. Admission’s current numbers project the freshmen class to comprise about 1,050 students.

Though the university will not have the final numbers until late August, James said this increase from last year’s number of freshmen – 1,000 – and total enrollment – 4,838 – shows considerable growth in the university.

Despite the flood of freshmen, John Delony, director of Residence Life education and housing, said ACU will be able to fully accommodate students without changing any of the current policies.

“We have enough beds,” Delony said.

Next semester’s only housing modification will be an adjustment in the the male-female ratio for Smith-Adams Hall and A.B. Barret Hall, Delony said.

James said incoming students have a higher standardized test average than those of last year. James expects the percentage of students affiliated with the Churches of Christ to be in the high 40s, the same as last fall.

ACU is drawing in more students with a Church of Christ background than last year; however, because the number of non-Church of Christ students is also higher, the university’s ratio of students who identify with that religious group may actually go down, James said.

ACU has received 700-800 more applications than last year, possibly because of a more optimistic economy, James said. He also said Welcome Week will have a higher turnout than any other year.

The new admission deadlines have heightened students’ interest in the university, he said. Applicants made 200 more deposits than were made by the same date last year, indicating a greater commitment.

Delony said ACU’s growth is astonishing. He attributes it to the university’s strategic effort to get its story out to students who have no ties with ACU alumni. Delony said ACU’s rising recognition will benefit students in every class.

“When you leave, the degree you’ll have hanging on your wall will mean more,” Delony said.