Tim Stanley
Tulsa World Reporter
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With fall enrollment numbers now largely finalized, several area universities are celebrating record numbers of first-year students.
Leading the way, the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University welcomed their largest ever freshmen classes respectively this fall, continuing a string for each school of ever increasing first-year numbers.
Meanwhile, Oral Roberts University, the state’s largest private school, also is reporting its largest incoming class of first-year students.
For OU, the 6,251 freshmen enrolled at the Norman campus also represent the largest incoming first-year class in state history, officials said.
It marks the fifth-straight year for OU of record first-year enrollment, with a 30% jump over just the past three years.
It helps bump OU’s total enrollment to more than 36,500 students across all of its campuses, and meets the enrollment growth goals laid out in the university’s strategic plan, officials said.
Jeff Blahnik, OU vice president for enrollment management and chief enrollment officer, said the historic freshman class “marks more than just a record; it’s a powerful signal of OU’s momentum. As we welcome the class, we’re energized by the potential they bring and the success they’ll achieve both inside and outside the classroom.”
OSU is welcoming 5,160 first-year students to its Stillwater campus.
It marks the fourth-straight year of record freshman enrollment for OSU. It also puts the school ahead of the schedule set in its master plan, which among other growth goals calls for adding a minimum of 5,000 new first-year students by fall 2026 in Stillwater, officials said.
The incoming class gives OSU a total of 36,934 students enrolled across its system, which surpasses the previous system record set in 2013.
OSU President Jim Hess credits the growth in part to expanded scholarship opportunities, efforts to keep tuition and mandatory fees flat, and the launch of initiatives like OSU Polytech.
“Setting a new enrollment record is more than a number. It’s a testament to the trust families place in Oklahoma State University and our unwavering commitment to student success,” Hess said. “Our student-first focus continues to demonstrate that the faculty and staff are dedicated to helping each and every student realize their dreams.”
ORU’s largest ever group of first-year students totaled 1,201.
It helped ORU hit a total fall enrollment of 6,213 students, marking the first time that ORU’s fall enrollment has surpassed 6,000, officials said.
ORU has now experienced 17 consecutive years of enrollment growth, officials said.
Not all universities saw growth in first-year students.
The University of Tulsa reports that its first-year class is down, falling from last year’s 731 freshmen enrolled to 665.
However, TU’s total enrollment rose, climbing from 3,972 to 4,158, thanks to gains in transfer and graduate students.
tim.stanley@tulsaworld.com
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Tim Stanley
Tulsa World Reporter
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