The University of Central Arkansas has set another record enrollment this fall of 12,400 students, making UCA the second largest college in Arkansas.
Since Lu Hardin assumed the presidency in September 2002, UCA has added nearly 4,000 students, increasing from 8,500 students to 12,400 students. This represents a 46 percent increase in four years.?I am very pleased at where UCA?s enrollment stands at the present time,? Hardin said. ?Not only have we increased our enrollment by 4,000 students, but we are getting better students. The average ACT of entering freshmen has improved from 23.1 to 23.5 and our graduation rate has increased from 48 percent to 52 percent in that time period. Our Honors College, established in 1983, has grown to 600 students with an average ACT of 31, ensuring not only an increase in quantity but an increase in quality.?
U.S. News & World Report recently ranked UCA 61st in the South in academic excellence, marking the first year that UCA has been ranked. UCA was the only public Arkansas university in that category.
?I attribute our growth to our marketing campaign and simply making people aware that one of the most beautiful universities in the South exists within a 25 minute drive of Little Rock. UCA has always been an outstanding university; we simply have told the story,” Hardin said.
UCA will spend at least one year in the 12,000 student range in order to catch-up with infrastructure needs and then re-evaluate the long-term enrollment goal.
