ACU reached record enrollment for the fifth year in a row with a total of 5,731 students enrolled. 

Dr. Phil Schubert, president of the university, released 12-day-numbers Thursday, detailing growth in key areas of the university including undergraduate enrollment, graduate enrollment and ACU Online. 

New residential enrollment increased by 7%, with an entering freshman class of 950 students. 

“This entering freshmen cohort is strong academically, including 34 valedictorians/salutatorians, 12 National Merit Commended students and five National Merit Finalists,” Schubert said in an email sent to students, faculty and staff. “These talented students are from every region of Texas, the continental United States and across the world.” 

Alongside record enrollment and a large freshman class, statistics including the number of international and transfer students increased. 

A break-down of the 12-day-numbers is as follows with increases from last year indicated in parentheses: 

• Total enrollment: 5,731 (+397)
• Undergraduate students: 3,863 (+303)
• Graduate students: 1,868 (+94)
• Abilene campus: 3,588 (+34)
• ACU Online: 2,143 (+363)
• Entering freshmen: 950 (+78)
• Transfer students: 370 (+175)
• International students: 196 (+23)
• Ethnic diversity of the student body: 41%

Dr. Tamara Long, vice president for enrollment management,  said the increases shown in the numbers are all about attracting students in new ways. 

“It takes attracting all types of students to experience what you have to offer to get that right,” Long said. “I feel like when you have an organization that is on mission and everyone understands how their programs, departments, and parts of the organization play in the role of living out the mission, when those things are in concert with one another, great things happen. I feel like that’s evidence when you see that kind growth across all the entities.” 

The student body makeup is continuing to change, with 20% of the freshman class being out-of-state students. Long said that the university is shooting to have representation from national and global communities. 

“We want that representation of the country and of the world,” Long said. “We’ve had growth in our international students. Those are just all, to me, exciting things.” 

For the 5,731 students, Long wants them to remember that they are in a great position: having access to higher education. 

“It is a privilege to be shaped intellectually and spiritually,” Long said. “Don’t take it for granted. For most of our students, the ability to be a part of this community and be on this journey involves many that have gone before them and that will come after them in terms of investing in them.”