September 4, 2002

ISU enrollment grows to highest
level since 1993

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — The number of students attending Indiana State University has grown for the fifth year in a row this fall to 11,714, the highest level since 1993.

"Our preliminary analysis indicates that a significant portion of this growth is due to improved retention of our students. I think this illustrates the hard work of our faculty and staff in conjunction with the tremendous success of the Lilly First-Year Experience Program," said Dr. Steven Pontius, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Indiana State.

The Lilly program is designed to provide first-year students with the services and environment that will help them be successful. Since its creation in 1997, the retention rate for freshmen returning for a second year has increased 8 percent. Retention rates for students returning this fall will be determined within the next few weeks.

The total headcount enrollment at Indiana State increased by 393 students (3.5 percent) over last fall. ISU students are enrolled in a total of 147,823 credit hours this semester, a 4.1 percent increase from last year. FTE enrollments, the number of total credit hours divided by a full-time load, also increased by 4.1 percent, up 408 to 10,047.

In addition to improved retention rates, Indiana State University also was more stringent in its admissions process this year, said Lee Young, associate vice president for enrollment services.

"We have been very careful to admit only the students who have the most likelihood of success. While we denied admission to a significantly higher number of students this year, we are working with those students to steer them to other opportunities for higher education," said Young.

Indiana State has a "bridge-back" program with Ivy Tech State College and Vincennes University that allows students to transfer who were denied admission to ISU to enroll at those institutions. They can then transfer back to Indiana State after completing 12 to 24 credit hours with a "C" average or higher.

A growth in graduate enrollment also contributed to the overall enrollment picture. Graduate enrollment grew by 8.2 percent (130 students).

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Contact:
Lee Young, associate vice president for enrollment services,
(812) 237-4975 or admyoung@isugw.indstate.edu

Writer:
Teresa Exline, Communications & Marketing
(812) 237-3791, devexlin@isugw.indstate.edu

ISU Public Affairs:
(812) 237-3773 or http://isunews.indstate.edu