By Matt Vines July 22, 2024
SHREVEPORT – On the heels of an overall enrollment record this past spring, LSUS announced a new summer enrollment record of 7,512 students Wednesday.
The new summer record is up 20 percent from this past summer and bested the previous mark of 6,998 from Summer 2021.
Increases in both undergraduate and graduate enrollment account for the new record.
“This amazing enrollment news would not be possible without the efforts of our faculty and staff, students sharing our story with their friends and families, and the community members that sponsor our robust scholarship program,” said Demitrius Brown, vice chancellor for student affairs. “Today’s students want educational opportunities that allow them to balance their various commitments and make progress toward careers that meet their goals.”
Undergraduate enrollment ticked up slightly, but those undergrads are taking more credit hours with a five percent increase from Summer 2023.
Undergraduate transfer students were also a growth area, blooming 21 percent.
Students who started graduate programs in previous terms and continued classes through the summer account for the largest increase.
Graduate students who continued in their programs rose nearly 1,000 students (24 percent increase from Summer 2023), bolstered by strong enrollment gains throughout the past year.
New graduate students also spiked with 1,295 starting programs this summer (a 16 percent hike).
The strong summer enrollment numbers follow an LSUS record enrollment of 10,214 this past spring.
LSUS’s growth occurs in an environment in which many universities across the state and the country are navigating enrollment and financial headwinds.
The University isn’t just attracting more students through its doors, it’s being recognized for serving those students once they’ve enrolled.
LSUS received the highest marks in the state in the second annual Economic Mobility Index, which measures how effectively institutions assist low-income students to improve their socioeconomic status by graduating into well-paying jobs. LSUS ranked in the top 20 percent nationally in the study conducted by the organization Third Way, which published this past September.
The University was also one of 11 colleges chosen to participate in the inaugural cohort of the John Gardner Foundation’s program to transform the early college experience. The program is designed to identify and reduce barriers to student success and degree completion.
“The data show that college degrees can provide a path to positive economic mobility,” Brown said. “We know that affordability matters, and the scholarships we provide significantly help our students.
“Many of our graduates leave us with minimal if any debt.”
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