It is now official. The fall 2003 numbers for first-time entering freshmen at the University of Central Arkansas is the largest in the school?s history and the second largest in state history for public universities.
UCA?s total of 2,430 first-time students pushed the overall enrollment to 9,518, just shy of the university?s record-setting enrollment of 9,567 in 1993.
Comparatively speaking, the university had 1,787 first-time entering students a year ago and a total enrollment of 8,553. So this year?s numbers represent a 36 percent increase from 2002. Going back another year to 2001, UCA had 1,698 enroll for the first time and a total of 8,486.
Only the 1997 class at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville had more first-time entering students than this year?s group at UCA according to the Department of Higher Education.
Despite the huge increase in enrollment, the academic performance of UCA freshmen remains strong. The average composite ACT score of UCA?s entering freshmen remained at 23 this year, while the state and national average continued to be 20.
-Tommy Jackson