MU’s Student Body Diversity Increases on First Day of School

Freshman class is the second largest in the history of the university.

Aug. 19, 2013

Story Contact(s):
Christian Basi, BasiC@missouri.edu, 573-882-4430

COLUMBIA, Mo. – On the first day of classes, the University of Missouri welcomed the most diverse student body in its history. With 34,111 students enrolled, diversity in the student body increased 3.4 percent compared to this time last year. In spite of declining high school graduates, Mizzou’s freshman class of 6,227 is the second largest in MU’s history, second only to last year’s class of 6,560. International and out-of-state students increased as well.

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“We are pleased to once again welcome another very large class of students to MU,” said Ann Korschgen, vice provost for enrollment management. “This year, we’re experiencing significant increases in our international student population and diversity on campus. This is very important as we prepare our students for a globally positioned job market because they will have the opportunity to interact with globally diverse students during their time at MU.”

The number of international students enrolled this year is currently 2,109 compared to 2,041 last year, a 3.3 percent increase. The number of minority students enrolled also rose 3.6 percent to 5,116 compared to 4,940 last year.

This year’s mean ACT score of incoming freshmen remained steady at 25.7. In comparison, students across the state of Missouri averaged 21.6 on their ACT scores, and students throughout the nation had an average score of 21.1.

“Mizzou continues to attract a large number of Bright Flight and Curators Scholars from across the state,” Korschgen said. “These high-quality students know we continue to be an institution that can prepare them for their chosen career fields and provide opportunities to enrich their educational experiences.”

Mizzou’s six-year graduation rate increased to an all-time high of 70.8 this year, indicating that as enrollments have grown, more students are staying at MU and graduating.

“It is significant that our graduation rate is the highest in our history,” Korschgen said. “This indicates that not only are large numbers of students from all over the world continuing to choose MU, they are staying here to graduate in unprecedented numbers. This tells us that our students recognize the wonderful, diverse learning environment at MU that well prepares them for the future.”

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI

FIRST DAY ENROLLMENT FIGURES 2013

	Fall 2012	Fall 2013	Difference
First-Time Freshmen	6,560*	6,227	-333 students (-5.1%)
Total Hispanic students	975	1,070	+95 students (9.7%)
Total African-American students	2,404	2,415	+11 students(+0.5%)
Total Minority	4,940	5,116*	+176 students (+3.6%)
Total International students	2,041	2,109*	+68 (+3.3%)
Mean ACT (freshman class)	25.7	25.7	No Change
Graduation Rate	70.7%	70.8%*	+0.1%
Total Enrollment	34,255*	34,111	-144 students (-0.4%)

* indicates record figure