Another milestone is celebrated during the year of the University of Missouri's 175th anniversary. Official enrollment for the fall semester is 35,441, the largest in school history.
Along the way, record-breaking enrollment was achieved in the freshman class (6,515), among graduates (6,565) and in the overall undergraduate student body (27,654).
Furthermore, a record 5,486 minority students and 2,417 international students are enrolled this semester. Both are records.
“Students come to Mizzou to achieve their unique goals, whether it’s a program of study, leadership in student organizations or extracurricular opportunities that add to their MU experience,” Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin said in a news release. “What is clear is that the University of Missouri is the place more and more want to be.”
The numbers show that the student body is getting smarter. Bright Flight students increased by almost 30 percent from 2013, and students recognized either as Curator Scholars or Chancellor’s Scholars rose more than 35 percent.
“It’s exciting to participate in recruiting a student body that is not just growing in size and diversity but also has the highest average ACT score in our history,” Ann Korschgen, vice provost for enrollment management, said in a news release.
Finally, online instruction at MU is increasing. The number of credit hours of students taking all their classes online increased 18.5 percent, while credit hours of students taking at least 80 percent of their courses online are up nearly 15 percent.
Loftin is not surprised that more students than ever are choosing MU and that many are staying to earn advanced degrees. In an interview, Loftin said he speaks with students nearly every day, and one question he asks is, Are you happy? The typical response: Yes.
“That is extraordinarily important to a leader like me,” Loftin said. “After all, we know this place isn’t easy. We demand a lot of our students in terms of their academic success. They demand a lot of themselves in terms of their engagement on campus and beyond.
“But fundamentally they are happy.”
