Mizzou Tiger Roar Increases by Nearly 1,700 Voices
Enrollment records broken again
Aug. 25, 2008
Story Contact: Christian Basi, (573) 882-4430, BasiC@missouri.edu
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The roar at the University of Missouri will be significantly louder this year with a record number of new “tigers” prowling the campus. Today, the university welcomes a much anticipated record number of first-time freshmen to Mizzou. On the first day of classes, the number of freshmen rose to 5,812 students from 5,027 last year, an increase of 785 or 15.6 percent. MU also continued the record-setting streak with total enrollment reaching 29,761, an increase of 1,691 students from last year. This is the seventh straight year that the University has broken this record.
“We’re extremely excited about this coming year and are pleased to welcome these outstanding students to Mizzou,” said Ann Korschgen, vice provost for enrollment management. “They are great additions to the Mizzou family, and we look forward to witnessing their successes.”
Freshman African-American enrollment increased by 27.5 percent, representing the highest total in history. Hispanic enrollment also set a record with an increase of 29.7 percent. The number of students receiving the Curators’ awards is the highest in eight years, increasing by 8.8 percent.
"We are working to ensure that an MU education remains affordable to all students,” Korschgen said. “One example is through the Flagship Scholars Program, which awarded scholarships worth up to $15,000 to cover the cost of higher education for the first time this Fall. This significant assistance to our students is a result of our For All We Call Mizzou campaign. We’re looking forward to having many more of these scholars in the future.”
This year's mean ACT score, a measure of the quality of this year's freshman class, is 25.5. The state average ACT score is 21.6. The national average is 21.1.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: Please see attached table. Official enrollment figures will be available after the 20th day of classes.
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA
FIRST DAY ENROLLMENT FIGURES 2008
| Fall 2007 | Fall 2008 | Difference | |
| First-Time Freshmen | 5,027 | 5,812* | +15.6% |
| Graduate students | 5,424 | 5,811* | +7.1% |
| Curator Scholars | 444 | 481 | +8.3% |
| Mean ACT (freshman class) | 25.5 | 25.5 | No Change |
| Retention Rate | 84.7% | 85.2%* | +0.5% |
| Total Enrollment | 28,070 | 29,761* | +6% |
* indicates record figure