Washington State University enrollment hit an all-time high this semester, according to figures released this week.
Some 28,686 students are enrolled at WSU campuses throughout the state – more than 1,007 students more than the previous record set in the fall of 2012 and a 4 percent increase over last year’s enrollment.
“This is good news,” said Dan Bernardo, WSU provost and executive vice president, in a press release. “Undergraduate enrollment is up 3.5 percent, which is particularly impressive given the current demographics of the state.” He explained that the state is in the “trough” of a high school graduation curve, reducing the pool of potential students.
At WSU, the overall increase includes a 5 percent increase in the number of graduate students and a 7 percent increase in students pursuing professional degrees in nursing, pharmacy, medical sciences and veterinary medicine.
All of WSU’s urban campuses experienced a growth in enrollment as well: Spokane and Tri-Cities were up 6 percent and WSU Vancouver’s enrollment grew by 5 percent. The number of transfer students is also up 5 percent.
WSU’s online Global Campus enrollment grew by 17 percent.
