SIUE welcomes 3,634 new students for 2018 fall semester

EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville welcomed 3,634 new students to campus for the fall 2018 semester including 1,706 new first-time, full-time freshmen, 1,240 new transfer students and 688 new graduate and professional students. Total overall enrollment of 13,281 trails last year by 515 students (3.7 percent).

“SIUE had its two largest graduating classes in 2017 with 2,380 undergraduate degrees and 2018 with 2,617 undergraduate degrees, so we knew it would be challenging to replace those classes,” said SIUE Chancellor Randy Pembrook. “Initial data for next year’s class indicates the prospect pool is up at this point from a year ago, and we have initiatives in place to enhance enrollment growth in the future.

“We continue to investigate innovative academic programming that will serve the needs of the business sector, and be popular with both traditional and non-traditional students. We are creating flexibility for students who have academic interests that span across disciplines, and our online offerings continue to grow, so students can learn both on and off-campus.”

First-time, full-time freshmen enrollment for fall 2018 is 1,706. This is a decline of 83 students (five percent) from last year, and transfers dropped nine percent. SIUE continues to be popular regionally as enrollment of new local freshmen from Madison, St. Clair and Monroe counties climbed by 12 percent, and enrollment from the Springfield region grew by eight percent. Overall, the freshman class arrives from 450 different high schools in 23 states and nine countries. The entire SIUE student population represents 40 states and 58 countries.

SIUE’s School of Nursing (SON) continues to expand with new graduate student enrollment and online enrollment increasing. The SON has enrolled a record 1,701 undergraduate (including pre-nursing), masters and doctoral students for fall 2018. New graduate student enrollment represents a three percent increase over last year. SIUE also set a record for students taking online courses. A record 10 percent of the student body (1,362 students) is enrolled in at least one online course compared to 9 percent last fall.

Along with recruitment strategies, a focus on student retention has led to freshman to sophomore retention growing from 73 to 75.4 percent for freshmen entering fall 2017. African American student retention also increased by eight percent and Latino student retention by 10 percent. Retention for all students entering with ACT scores of less than 21 increased by 11 percent.

SIUE’s professional schools of Pharmacy (328 students) and Dental Medicine (215 students) each saw more than two percent growth.

“Our professional schools, graduate school and international student populations have all increased slightly this year and continue to provide a stable enrollment base for the institution” said Scott Belobrajdic, associate vice chancellor for enrollment management. “One of our recent program additions, the online RN to BS completion program, has an outstanding completion rate. That program led SIUE to record enrollment in 2015 and has led to confirming a record number of baccalaureate degrees during the past two years.

“While our recent freshman classes have been as diverse and academically talented as ever, we now face the challenge of building back the freshman class to the size we have grown accustomed to over the past 10 years. Early indicators for fall 2019 and fall 2020 demonstrate we are heading in that direction for both academic years.”

SIUE Fall 2018 Enrollment Facts and Figures

• Total overall enrollment of 13,281 trails last year by 515 students (3.7 percent)
• First-time, full-time freshman enrollment is 1,706 students, a 5 percent decline (83 students) from a year ago, earning a mean ACT of 23.3, second-best all-time
• The School of Nursing has enrolled a record 1,701 undergraduate (including pre-nursing), masters and doctoral students
• A record 1,362 students are taking at least one course online, up percent or 69 students from last year
• New fall graduate students grew by 97 students (14 percent)
• A record 249 doctoral students are enrolled, a 21 percent increase (44 students) over last year
• New fall transfer students total is 1,240, nine percent behind fall 2017
• Freshman to sophomore retention rate increased 2.4 percent to 75.3 percent
• New freshman enrollment from out of state and regional states other than Missouri grew 41 percent, the local area grew 12 percent and Springfield grew 8 percent.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville provides students with a high quality, affordable education that prepares them for successful careers and lives of purpose. Built on the foundation of a broad-based liberal education, and enhanced by hands-on research and real-world experiences, the academic preparation SIUE students receive equips them to thrive in the global marketplace and make our communities better places to live. Situated on 2,660 acres of beautiful woodland atop the bluffs overlooking the natural beauty of the Mississippi River’s rich bottomland and only a short drive from downtown St. Louis, the SIUE campus is home to a diverse student body of more than 13,000.

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