Enrollment Tops 30,000 for First Time; New Records for Number of Arkansans

Photo by Chieko Hara

For the second straight year, the U of A is welcoming a record student body to its campus as enrollment tops 30,000 for the first time, with more than 7,000 degree-seeking new freshmen for the 2022-23 academic year, and setting records for the number of Arkansans enrolled as well as in the incoming class. 

The 11th day snapshot, required by the Department of Higher Education, indicates overall enrollment is 30,936 (including undergraduates, graduates and law students), an 8.3 percent increase over the previous year, one of the largest increases in the last decade.

The new freshman class has hit an all time high as 7,099 students are enrolled for the first time, a 17.1 percent increase over last year.  This is the second consecutive year of unprecedented single-year growth in the freshman class.

One of the university’s top land-grant priorities is to provide access to higher education to Arkansans, and that mission continues with a record 15,479 students from the state of Arkansas and a record 2,835 students from Arkansas in the freshman class.

“University of Arkansas enrollment is booming,” said Charles Robinson, interim chancellor at the U of A. “We have record overall enrollment and highest ever new freshman enrollment. I am most proud of the record numbers of Arkansans in the freshman class and in overall enrollment. This continued growth underscores that the U of A is a destination institution attracting students both in Arkansas and from across the country. The freshman class will have the highest incoming GPA in our history; these students are prepared to succeed. This is all good news for our campus and for our state.”

The quality education available at the U of A that has made it a campus home for so many Arkansans is also attracting students nationally and internationally. This fall, 15,457 out-of-state students have enrolled; 1,144 of those are international students.

"There are many reasons to celebrate the university's growth over the last two years," said Suzanne McCray, vice provost for enrollment and dean of admissions. "The campus has been working to get ahead of the much-anticipated enrollment cliff that is already starting to have an effect on college enrollments across this country. Expanding our enrollment now helps provide a buffer for our campus and for our community. And we have been able to grow while also increasing opportunities for Arkansans, access for diverse communities and academic preparation among incoming students."

The preliminary numbers indicate a significant increase in the number of students from diverse communities, with 7,101 students enrolled overall, the fourth straight record year. The largest increase was among the Hispanic community, which rose 12.3 percent from a year ago.

Also, the number of transfer students is now at 1,543, and the combined total of graduate and law students is at 4,667. 

The numbers that are generated on the 11th day of classes will provide the enrollment “snapshot” required by the Department of Higher Education. Enrollment numbers will continue to change slightly as corrections are made and officially reported in October.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.