Enrollment at the University of Michigan-Flint has increased for the fall 2008 semester to a record setting level. The overall increase is 5.5% compared to fall 2007.Tenth day enrollment for fall 2008 is 7,260 students compared to fall 2007 which totaled 6,883 students. This is the second year in a row the University of Michigan-Flint has increased enrollment. The growth is led by the largest freshmen class in the history of the campus.

Freshmen enrollment jumped from 626 students in fall 2007 to 909 for fall 2008, an increase of 45.2%.

Other increases over fall 2007 include:
- 6% increase in transfer students
- 9.9% increase in dually-enrolled students
- 4.3% increase in graduate students
- 24% increase in international students

For the fourth consecutive year, graduate enrollment at the University of Michigan-Flint continued to grow as more students pursue their masters degrees in demand programs such as business, computer science and healthcare. Graduate student enrollment for the first time is over 1,100 students. For fall 2008, there are 153 international students enrolled compared to 123 in fall 2007. The international students are from more than 30 countries, including China, Canada, India, Jamaica, South Korea, Taiwan, and Nigeria.
 
"This historical milestone is wonderful news for both the campus and the community,” said Chancellor Ruth J. Person.  “The additional 400 students attending the University of Michigan-Flint adds a vibrancy to this area, and reaffirms the University of Michigan-Flint’s sterling reputation of providing an excellent educational experience.”

The number of  prospective freshmen students applying to the University of Michigan-Flint has steadily increased over the last three years.  This fall, the university received 2464 freshmen applications, compared with 1887 in 2007 and 1497 in 2006.   Over 3,000 prospective students visited the campus during the 2007-2008 academic year which is a record number.

 

“Both the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and the Office of Graduate Programs had aggressive recruitment planning that strongly contributed to the substantial increase in our student population,” said Provost Jack Kay.  “In addition, the collaboration of faculty and several other key departments provided the framework for success recruiting top students.”

 

The University of Michigan-Flint’s tradition of outstanding academic programs impacted student recruitment.  The recent addition of a new undergraduate degree in journalism, as well as an increase in graduate students pursing degrees in computer science, biology, nursing and business helped to fuel growth.  The University of Michigan-Flint was also recently recognized as a “Best in the Midwest” university by the Princeton Review which selects universities based on academic excellence.

 

“There are a number of reasons why our enrollment numbers have increased,” said Provost Kay. “We have new degree programs which meet the career goals of our students.  We increased our international recruitment efforts, bringing students from around the world to study here in Flint. And, our new residence hall was an attractive option for many students who wanted a traditional campus experience.” 

 

The addition of the First Street Residence Hall has brought 300 students to campus from Genesee County and the state of Michigan, as well as from Washington D.C., New Jersey, Texas, as well as from several countries around the world.

 

“This is an exciting time at the University of Michigan-Flint as our campus grows to meet the needs of the knowledge economy,” stated Chancellor Person.  “Our recruitment activities for the class of Fall 2009 are well underway, and we are all working together to meet our campus goal of 8,000 students by 2010.”