Enrollment goes up at Pitt State

For the fourth consecutive year, Pittsburg State University has set an enrollment record for the fall semester.

This fall, PSU has 7,277 students enrolled, up 2.1 percent from last fall. Since 2004, the university has grown more than 11 percent.

PSU officials said they were pleased with the overall report, but especially with a 7.4 percent increase in domestic minority students and a 26 percent increase in student veterans, thanks in part to the new GI Bill. They also pointed out that more than 6,000 students are taking classes on campus, which has a great impact on the local economy.

The numbers were released Thursday by the PSU Registrar's Office in coordination with the Kansas Board of Regents' official fall enrollment announcement.

"This is another good enrollment report," PSU President Steve Scott said. "I am impressed not only with the growth in numbers, but also in the quality of students who are increasingly making Pittsburg State University their first choice."

Bill Ivy, the dean of enrollment management and student success, said PSU uses a variety of strategies in recruiting students, but two of its most effective tools are current students and the faculty and staff.

"Students who are satisfied with their Pitt State experience go on to tell their friends about PSU," Ivy said. "Our faculty are great ambassadors for the university. When prospective students and their families visit, they are impressed with the friendliness of the faculty and their willingness to meet with students. After students enroll, that support from faculty helps improve retention, which is just as important as recruitment."

Enrollment numbers at PSU this fall include a total head count of 7,277 students enrolled in 96,531 credit hours of instruction. Of the total number of students, 6,629 are taking classes on campus, 5,934 are undergraduate students, 1,343 are graduate students, and 471 are international students, a PSU statement said.

Enrollment figures released by the Kansas Board of Regents show an increase of 1,434 students at the state's six universities. This represents a 1.6 percent increase for the 2009 fall semester over the 2008 fall semester. The state's six universities reported a combined total enrollment of 93,307 students as of the 20th day of classes -- an all-time high for student enrollment at the state's six universities, a Regents statement said.