The university saw an 8 percent decrease in student population with the release of spring enrollment numbers on Wednesday, a normal decrease.
The university reported 4,358 students enrolled, a decrease from the 4,728 total enrolled students in the fall.
Kevin Campbell, acting chief enrollment officer, said most universities typically see lower enrollment numbers in the spring semester.
“Most every university in the spring sees that decline,” Campbell said. “We typically see lower numbers for two reasons: We have a December graduation, and almost all freshmen start in the fall, so you don’t see an influx to replace the graduating class.”
The total number of students enrolled this spring actually is lower than in spring 2009. A total of 4,984 were enrolled last spring.
However, Campbell said the total number of degree-seeking students is higher this year. Last year, the university saw a record number of students enrolled in dual-credit classes, inflating enrollment numbers.
“This year, we have 3,464 degree-seeking undergraduates, and last year, we had 3,436. So we actually have 28 more students than we did a year ago,” Campbell said.
Campbell also said the university saw one of its highest retention in years. He said 90 percent of freshmen who enrolled in the fall returned for this spring semester, an improvement as compared to last year’s the 86 percent retention rate.
“We are definitely pleased with the spring enrollment numbers,” Campbell said. “We saw a very good retention rate for our freshmen. Those who are here are obviously pleased with their experience at ACU.”
The university’s online school numbers actually saw an increase in enrollment. A total of 469 students are enrolled in ACU’s online school, compared to 459 in the fall. Campbell said increases in online program enrollment in the spring are normal for most universities.
“Online programs actually have six different times when our students can start throughout the year,” Campbell said. “The ability to have students start at six different times means more students. So it’s not uncommon to see some slight growth.”
