Fall enrollment tops 31,000

A record number of students -- including a record freshman class -- are attending Iowa State this fall. Photo by Bob Elbert.

It's another one for the record books at Iowa State University. This fall's student body of 31,040 is the largest in school history.

It's the fourth year of record enrollment and the sixth consecutive year of growth at Iowa State.

"Since fall 2006, our enrollment has grown by more than 21 percent, a significant increase that reflects the confidence students and their families have in Iowa State," said president Steven Leath.

Overall, enrollment is up 3.9 percent (1,153 students) over the previous record of 29,887 in fall 2011. The student body represents every Iowa county, all 50 states, and 101 countries.

Iowa State has attracted its largest freshman class ever -- 5,366 -- and 3,251 (61 percent) are Iowans.

"Our robust fall enrollment speaks to the value students and their families see in a degree from Iowa State. ISU's strong academic programs, vibrant student experience, and reputation for preparing graduates for the next steps in life ‐ be that career or an advanced degree – are all reasons more students are choosing to enroll here," said interim director of admissions Darin Wohlgemuth.

Total Iowa resident enrollment is 18,922, an increase of 396 over last year. Of the total Iowa resident enrollment, 17,050 are undergraduates, an increase of 498 from last year. 

By the numbers

Iowa State's student numbers set records in nearly every category again this fall:

• Record undergraduate enrollment of 25,553, an increase of 1,210 students from fall 2011.
• Record international student enrollment of 3,510, an increase of 86 students from fall 2011. The overall number also reflects a record in the number of international undergraduates: 1,989.
• Record diversity. More than one in five Iowa State students is either a minority or an international student. Total U.S. minority and international enrollment is 6,765, or 21.79 percent of the student body. (The previous record set in fall 2011 was 6,369, or 21.31 percent of the student body.) U.S. minority enrollment is 3,255 (10.5 percent of total enrollment), a new record and an increase over last fall's 2,945 students. For the past six years, Iowa State has met or exceeded the 8.5 percent minority enrollment goal set by the Iowa Board of Regents.
• Record transfer student enrollment of 1,841, up from last year's record of 1,781 students.
• Record transfer enrollment from Iowa's community colleges: 1,111, up from last year's record of 1,050 students.

Fall 2012 enrollment by college