Despite steep increases in tuition, college enrollment has surged across Oregon and at the University this year, bringing in record numbers of in-state, out-of-state, transfer and international students.
A record high 91,580 students enrolled in the seven schools across the Oregon University System this fall, an increase of 5.8 percent from last fall.
According to OUS reports, enrollment at the University rose to 22,386 students, an increase of 879, or 4.1 percent, from last fall.
Much of the enrollment increase comes from incoming freshmen, but there is also a greater percentage of students returning to school for their sophomore, junior and senior years.
The economic recession is often pointed to as a factor in increased enrollment, but Director of Admissions Brian Henley said stricter academic standards may be at play as well.
“I think last year’s class we brought in, and the last few years’ classes, have been academically prepared to do well here,” Henley said. “I can’t say that that’s the (only) factor, but I do think it’s pretty evident that if we admit a class that’s well prepared to be successful, they’ll be more likely to return.”
Another big source of the increase has come from international students. The OUS reports that there are 216 more international students enrolled at the University this fall than last, the majority from China and South Korea.
Sara Clark, a staff member at the Mills International Center, said the center has recorded a 32 percent increase in usage this September.
The International Student Association, across the hall from the Mills International Center, has also seen an increase in interest in its group.
“We did have a lot more applicants for committees and interns,” said Amber Hampton, a spokesperson for the ISA.
Enrollment of transfer students increased in the OUS system by 11 percent as well.
The increase in enrollment, while bringing in more tuition funds, has also strained classrooms and facilities. At a University Senate meeting earlier in the year, ASUO President Emma Kallaway said she had heard many complaints from students at the beginning of the term about overcrowded classrooms and lack of seating.
However, the University took steps to avoid a situation like last year’s, where an overflow of incoming freshmen had to be housed off campus.
This year, the University admitted about 400 fewer freshmen.
“I think it’s a positive sign given that we went into the year intending to hold down the size of the freshman class, and we were more successful in being more selective,” Henley said.
For now, the University must carefully balance growth with quality and available resources.
“I would hope that as we continue to grow and make incremental growths, we’ll get to a point where class sizes won’t necessarily be bigger,” Henley said. “I understand we’ll have a little bit of an increase in class size this year. As we bring more students in and grow, students still need to have the resources available to them to take the classes they need to graduate.”
To this end, the University has announced it has a long-term goal of eventually housing 25 percent of its undergraduate population in residence halls. That plan may be realized after the proposed new residence hall on the east side of campus is finished in 2012. The new dorm is projected to hold 449 beds.
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