AU breaks 10,000 mark as Ga. universities see record enrollment

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Reaching a record-high enrollment, Augusta University has officially eclipsed the 10,000-student mark as it continues to grow faster than other universities in Georgia.

The university officially now has 10,546 students enrolled, marking a 7.5% increase over last fall’s 9,813 enrollment total and a 26.6% increase since 2015.

It comes as the University System of Georgia as a whole climbed to a record high of 344,392 students this fall, reversing two years of enrollment declines with a 3% annual gain.

AU’s 7.5% growth marked the highest single-year growth percentage of the research universities in the system from fall 2022 to fall 2023.

COMING UP:

• Augusta University will celebrate the milestone of reaching 10,000 students from noon to 2 p.m. Thursday at the Douglas Barnard Amphitheater. President Brooks A. Keel and others will be on hand to celebrate the occasion.

Graduate and professional student enrollment accounted for a significant portion of the university’s enrollment growth, increasing 9.5% overall and 20.5% in first-time students over fall 2022.

The School of Computer and Cyber Sciences saw an increase of 49% in graduate and professional student enrollment. The school saw an 11% increase, including growth in the Bachelor of Science programs.

The College of Education and Human Development saw a 39% increase in graduate and professional students. The college also saw a 7.6% increase in undergraduate enrollment.

Overall, undergraduate enrollment is up 5.8% from a year ago.

Alongside the increase in graduate numbers, this fall’s class of 1,162 freshmen – the largest freshman class in the university’s history – was up 17.2%, and out-of-area students make up 58% of the freshman class.

Across the Peach State, enrollment increased at 23 of USG’s 26 public colleges and universities. The enrollment across the system rose by 9,993 over last fall.

Much like public higher education institutions across the nation, USG enrollment had fallen in the past two years after seven consecutive years of growth.

But the fall 2023 head count increased across all four sectors of institutions within the system, with comprehensive universities up the most by number of students (3,294) and state colleges up the most by percentage (5%).

The biggest institutional increase by numbers was at the Georgia Institute of Technology (2,665), and the largest percentage increase was at Georgia Southwestern State University (11%). Only Georgia State University (-2.8%), Valdosta State University (-0.4%) and East Georgia State College (-6.9%) experienced declines.

Also bucking the two-year downward trend, the number of Georgians attending the state’s 26 public colleges and universities increased by 6,586 students (2.5%).

Both undergraduate and graduate enrollment were up for fall 2023. Undergrad enrollment grew by 5,657 students (2.2%) from 2022. Within that, dual enrollment is up by 3,001 students (24.7%) and beginning freshman enrollment, which had declined the last two years, increased by 2,402 students (4.6%). Graduate/professional enrollment increased by 4,293 students (6.3%), with the largest growth at the master’s level (2,694/5.6%).

Demographic numbers show USG’s student population also continues to diversify. An increase in Black students (2,561/3%) reverses declines in that category over the past two fall terms, while students identifying as Asian (2,986/7%) and Latino (2552/7%) both grew, respectively. The number of white students increased (387/0.3%) for the first time since 2011, although that category still declined as an overall share of USG’s student population due to larger growth in other categories.

The enrollment numbers were released in USG’s annual fall semester enrollment report, which analyzes enrollment data by institution, age, gender, race and ethnicity, in-state, out-of-state and international students.

SEE THE THE FULL ENROLLMENT REPORT:

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