Record Enrollment at VCU

By Pamela DiSalvo Lepley
Division of University Relations

VCU President Eugene P. Trani announced today that Virginia Commonwealth University received a record number of applications for the upcoming academic year, and that student enrollment is projected to be the largest in the university's history, with more than 31,300 students.

Trani made the announcement at the regular meeting of the VCU Board of Visitors.

He said VCU received more than 19,300 undergraduate applications for fall 2007, a 14 percent increase over last year. Based on the number of students accepting admissions offers, the freshman class is expected to be 3,850, also the largest in VCU's history.

"We are overwhelmed with interest," Trani said. "This is a good class, a diverse class, and a Virginia class."

VCU received more than 15,000 freshman applications, a 15 percent increase over last year.  VCU accepted 61 percent of the applications, compared to 66 percent last year.

About 88 percent of the freshman class is comprised of Virginia residents. Trani noted that VCU has accommodated nearly one-third of the total growth in resident undergraduate students at Virginia's public colleges and universities over the past decade. Most of the growth has come from students coming from Northern Virginia.

He also noted VCU remains a diverse university, with an enrollment of 60 percent female and 40 percent nonwhite students.

Other admissions and enrollment highlights for the 2007-2008 academic year:

·        Academic areas with the largest increase in freshmen include the School of the Arts, the College of Humanities and Sciences and the School of Engineering.

·        VCU will enroll more first-time freshmen from Fairfax County than from any other county or city in Virginia.

·        Transfer applications are up 11 percent.

·        Total enrollment will increase by about 1,000 students over last year; the freshman class will increase by more than 300 students.

1,100 international students will attend VCU in the 2007-2008 academic year.