The fastest-growing university in the state of Alabama is not located in Tuscaloosa, or Auburn, or Birmingham or Huntsville. It is located in Florence, where the University of North Alabama is poised to set a 13th consecutive enrollment record.
Provost and executive vice president Dr. Ross Alexander said, “For fall, I can safely predict that UNA will have well above 9,000 students. And preliminary numbers suggest increases among all student groups both on campus and online.”
On-campus groups likely to see increased enrollment include freshmen, transfer, international, and Early College students, while online groups expected to grow include graduate, undergraduate, adult/transfer and international students.
“Our aspiration these past several years has been to become a first-choice university for every type of learner, and we are achieving that goal,” Alexander said.
In spring 2022, the University of North Alabama surpassed 8,000 students for the first time in a spring semester. Due to nearly 900 students graduating in December, fall enrollment is always greater than spring enrollment. UNA’s fall 2021 enrollment was an all-time record of 8,832. Online students at both the graduate and undergraduate levels and on-campus international students led the enrollment increase.
Alexander noted that several of the university’s online programs have also shown growth in spring semester, including Master of Social Work (MSW), M.S. in Criminal Justice, BBAFlex, RN-BSN, M.S. in Instructional Technology and Design, M.A. in Education, and the Executive Doctor of Business Administration (EDBA).
Additionally, at its March meeting, the Alabama Commission on Higher Education approved two new UNA programs, both part of the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions – a B.S. in Respiratory Care and the Doctor of Nursing Practice, UNA’s third doctoral program. Both will launch in 2023 and meet what Alexander says is a true market need.
To close out the semester, Alexander expects more than 900 students to be part of UNA’s spring commencement exercises on May 6-7. The university holds five ceremonies and will feature two distinguished guest speakers in support of the Year of the UNA Woman – UNA alumna Ms. Jackie Rainwater and the Honorable Sarah Stewart, Associate Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court.
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