Overall enrollment for fall 2004 at the University of Colorado at Boulder is slightly higher than fall 2003, with 29,258 degree-seeking students enrolled, or 107 more than last year, according to final fall census figures.
CU-Boulder's fall 2003 enrollment totaled 29,151 degree-seeking students.
Freshman numbers are down as planned, however, in keeping with Quality for Colorado goals. A total of 5,128 new freshmen are attending this fall, a decrease of 443 or 8 percent from last fall's total of 5,571.
The reduction in number of freshmen -- the first since 2001 -- meets the target for reducing the size of the freshman class announced in fall 2003 by Chancellor Richard L. Byyny. The target set by Byyny was for 5,300 freshmen this fall, a 5 percent reduction, with an additional 5 percent reduction tentatively set for the fall 2005 entering class.
The reduction in freshman enrollment was planned to moderate the impact of growth over the last 10 years. "Our vision for CU-Boulder's Quality for Colorado initiative emphasizes growth in quality, rather than growth in enrollment," Byyny said. "By stabilizing our overall enrollment growth, we hope to better serve all of our students."
Academic preparation of the new freshman class was by some measures even stronger than last year's, which was the strongest to date. The average ACT composite score increased from 25.2 to 25.4 and high school GPA stayed about the same, increasing from 3.52 to 3.53. The average SAT score remained steady at 1175. Academic preparation of transfer students also remained about the same, with an average 3.17 transfer GPA, compared to 3.18 last year.
The number of new freshmen enrolling from Colorado meets the target set last fall at 2,978, or 5 percent fewer than the 3,137 last year. The number of new freshmen enrolling from out of state is 2,150, or 12 percent fewer than the 2,434 in 2003. 暗网禁区 58 percent of new freshmen are Colorado residents, up from 56 percent last year.
Total applications to CU-Boulder in 2004 were 19,334, compared to 20,896 in 2003. Applications from out-of-state students were 11 percent lower than last year's record level of 13,155.
A total of 1,441 transfer students enrolled, down slightly from 1,477 in 2003. The number of new graduate students also is down, to 1,272 from 1,350, a decline of 6 percent. Mirroring a national trend, the number of new international graduate students dropped 20 percent, from 177 to 141. Overall graduate enrollment also is down about 1 percent, from 4,611 to 4,548.
Of the 29,258 degree-seeking students enrolled, 170 more are undergraduate students with 63 fewer graduate students enrolled than last year.
Students from Colorado make up about 68 percent of overall enrollment, up from 67 percent in 2003 or 437 more residents. The increase coincides with a decline in state support for higher education. State tax support to CU-Boulder for fiscal year 2004-05 is $56.5 million, a decline of 33 percent since 2002-03.
The percentage of all freshmen who are U.S. minorities increased over 2003, from 14.2 percent to 15.3 percent. Slightly more than 20 percent of new freshmen from Colorado are ethnic minorities. A big increase in the percentage of Latino freshmen from Colorado, from 7.8 percent to 9.0 percent, was largely responsible for the increase in minority freshmen. The percentage of resident Asian freshmen also increased, from 8.4 percent to 8.7 percent, as did American Indian freshmen, from 0.8 percent to 1.0 percent. The African-American percentage of resident freshmen was down slightly, from 2.0 percent to 1.7 percent.
Among all undergraduates, minority enrollment also increased from 13.8 percent to 14.3 percent. Minority representation also was up among new graduate students, from 11.1 percent to 11.3 percent, and among all graduate students, from 10.4 percent to 11.0 percent.
The number of women also was higher among both new graduate students (48.1 percent to 49.9 percent) and all graduate students (46.9 percent to 47.3 percent). Overall minority enrollment combining undergraduates and graduates, increased from 13.3 percent to 13.8 percent.
Web addresses updated with final fall 2004 census figures are listed below. All tables are limited to students with "state reportable hours" (for FTE funding). Students enrolled only in courses offered by extended studies (continuing education) are excluded from all tables.
Overall enrollment: Total degree-seeking vs. not degree-seeking, over time
By college: Degree-seeking only, by grad/undergrad and college, over time (students in two colleges are counted in both)
By new vs. continuing:
Degree-seeking only, by grad/undergrad, residency, and new vs. continuing, over time
Details including diversity for fall 04 vs. fall 03
By degree-seeking/not, with tables on residency, college (first college only), diversity