Enrollment at Record High as UA Continues to Grow with Quality

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Enrollment at The University of Alabama reached a record 31,747 students this fall as the University continues to grow with quality.

Total enrollment is up 5 percent, an increase of 1,515 students, over fall 2010, and includes 26,234 undergraduates and 5,513 graduate and first professional students.

The fall 2011 freshman class – a record 5,772 students – entered the University with outstanding academic credentials.

“Once again this fall, we welcomed to campus the largest and most academically talented freshman class in our history,” said UA President Robert E. Witt. “We are pleased that excellent students are recognizing the quality and value of a University of Alabama education.”

Qualifications of the freshman class include:

• The class includes 182 National Merit Scholars and 30 National Achievement Scholars. Last year, with 128 National Merit Scholars, UA ranked 6^th in the nation among public universities in the enrollment of National Merit Scholars.
• Twenty-eight percent of the freshman class – 1,614 students – had a 4.0 or higher grade point average in high school.
• The freshman class was drawn from a record 22,136 applicants, up over 200 percent since fall 2002. UA has become significantly more selective with 53 percent of applicants admitted for fall 2011, down from 85 percent in 2002.

Enrollment at UA is up 62 percent over fall 2002. UA has planned carefully for the unprecedented growth in both numbers and quality, adding faculty, facilities and support functions to provide an excellent academic experience for all students.

UA is ranked 31^st among public national universities and 75^th among all universities, both public and private, according to U.S. News and World Report’s annual “Best Colleges” rankings for 2012. The ranking places UA in the top 5 percent of the 1,600 colleges and universities surveyed by U.S. News.