UA Enrollment Highlighted by Talented Class, In-state Freshmen Increase 

UA Enrollment Highlighted by Talented Class, In-state Freshmen Increase 

UA’s enrollment surpassed 38,000 for the third consecutive year.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — One of the most academically talented freshman classes in The University of Alabama’s history and a more than 10% increase of in-state freshmen highlight UA’s fall 2019 enrollment numbers.

The freshman class includes 256 National Merit Scholars, the largest in UA history. Last year, UA ranked second nationally among public universities with 187 among the freshman class. Currently, UA has 727 National Merit Scholars enrolled, an increase of 113 over last fall.

At 38,103 students, UA’s enrollment surpassed 38,000 for the third consecutive year, boosted by the in-state increase and a gifted freshman class.

  • 40% graduated in the top 10% of their high school graduating class (a UA record).
  • 38% have a high school grade-point average of 4.0 or higher, with the average grade-point average being 3.77 (both are UA records).
  • Approximately 40% have an ACT score of 30 or more for the third consecutive year.

“The quality of our student body is impressive by every measure,” said UA President Stuart R. Bell. “Once again, ACT scores, high school GPAs and the high number of entering National Merit Scholars demonstrate that students are attracted to our campus because we offer a premiere educational experience.”

This marks the second consecutive year UA has had a tuition freeze for in-state residents.

“With the support of Chancellor Finis St. John and our Board of Trustees, we continue to hold down costs, while investing in facilities and transformational educational experiences,” Bell said. “We challenge our students to reach for excellence in all they do, so they can have a profound impact and contribute to Alabama’s expanding economy.”

UA is educating and graduating more students than any college in the state. More than 9,100 degrees were awarded over the past year, adding significantly to the state’s workforce.  The University of Alabama System educates more Alabamians than any university system worldwide.

“We remain focused not only on attracting outstanding undergraduate and graduate students, but also ensuring these students complete their degrees,” said Dr. Kevin Whitaker, UA executive vice president and provost.

For fall 2019, UA has 32,798 undergraduate students, including 6,764 first-time undergraduate students; 4,868 students enrolled in graduate programs, and 437 professional students enrolled in the School of Law and the College of Community Health Sciences. UA announced last month that for the first time, women make up a majority of law students in an entering class at the School of Law. Of the 137 first-year law students, 53% are women.

In addition to the historic number of National Merit Scholars this fall, it has been a banner year for UA. It had another historic fundraising year, raising approximately $200 million from 62,300 donors over the last fiscal year, far exceeding the previous historic total of $119 million in 2017.

It was announced last December that the Carnegie Classification named UA among the top doctoral research universities in the United States. For the first time in its history, UA achieved Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity status, formerly known as the R1 category in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. This is the nation’s highest level of research activity for institutions that grant doctoral degrees.

UA also had a record year in sponsored funding for fiscal year 2018, reaching almost $100 million through external grants and contracts for research, instruction, service and fellowship.

“As the state’s flagship university, our commitment to our students and our state has never been stronger,” said Bell. “This is evidenced by the impact we have daily in the lives of students on our campus and in communities across our state where our research and community partnerships are making a real difference in the lives of so many Alabamians.”

Contact

Deidre Stalnaker, UA director of communications, 205-348-8718, deidre.stalnaker@ua.edu