Provost announces increase in freshman enrollment

Sept. 6, 2016 |

The University announced its total undergraduate enrollment for 2016 as 4,420. This total reflects increased enrollment of full-time students and first-time freshmen.

The 1,020 first-time-in-college freshmen reflect a 2.8 percent increase from the 992 enrolled at this time last year.

Full time undergraduate students increased by 38 students to 4,143, and full time graduate students increased to 671.

In addition to these increases, the University also maintained positive trends for retention at 82.3 percent and overall graduation rate at 63.9 percent.

Both the four-year and overall graduation rates are the second highest for the University in 15 years. According to Provost Marty Spears, graduating on time is an important factor for students seeking to minimize student loan debt.

“While the overall graduation rate is an important measure for any institution, the four-year graduation rate is of particular interest at a time when much focus is on controlling the cost of higher education,” Spears said. “Sixty-eight percent of our graduates finish in four years, and they typically have less debt on average than students who take longer to graduate. Harding’s four-year graduation rate for undergraduate students has been trending up for 15 years.”

Spears attributes the positive trend in graduation rates to programs like Early Alert and Concerned Alert Response Effort, which identify students who are at risk early in the semester.

“When introduced in the early 2000s, these new programs caused a jump in retention and graduation rates and ultimately lead to the creation of the Center for Student Success in 2012,” Spears said. “Since then, it’s clear that retention and graduation rates which were already good are continuing to improve.

The University has a goal in the 2013-18 strategic plan for undergraduates to have an overall graduation rate of 67 percent. This year reflected positive progress toward that goal.”

The undergraduate enrollment rate combined with 1,484 graduate and professional students brings Harding’s fall enrollment to 5,904. Students represent 50 states and 54 nations and territories.

The University received a total of 2,453 applications from new students for the 2016 fall semester. Harding has already received 838 applications for fall 2017, and 381 of these applicants have already been accepted.