FLORENCE – Just one week into the fall semester, preliminary data at the University of North Alabama show that enrollment has already exceeded 10,000 students and is on track to top last year’s record.
While final numbers are not expected until the beginning of November in order to account for students who take eight-week courses in the second half of the semester, officials said, the data point to an increase that will lift UNA over last year’s tally of 10,600 students and closer to the next milestone of 11,000 students.
“This is exactly where we want to land,” said UNA President Dr. Ken Kitts. “Our emphasis is on sustainable growth that compliments the university’s identity and allows us to continue to offer a highly personalized and exceptional experience to each student.”
Overall headcount is only part of the enrollment story. Initial reports signal a large freshman class as well as new transfers to the university, which account for an estimated 2,000 new-to-UNA students.
The numbers also indicate a significant increase in UNA’s credit hour production. Equally as important, for the first time in its history, the Delores and Weldon Cole Honors College enrollment has exceeded 1,000 students.
“We continue to see a record number of campus visits and growing interest in UNA from all sectors of students, from the first-year freshman to the grad student to the transfer student seeking a new academic pathway,” said Julie Taylor, assistant vice president for enrollment management. “We have an excellent team at UNA helping to recruit students to campus and show them the exciting and transformative things that are possible here.”
UNA’s enrollment has increased by almost 4,000 since 2015, which represents the strongest rate of growth among all of Alabama’s public universities.
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