BATON ROUGE – Student enrollment at the eight University of Louisiana System campuses rose to 80,845 this fall, an increase of 1,420 students, or 1.79 percent.Grambling State’s enrollment was up 1.78 percent, which translates to 92 more students enrolled this semester compared to last fall.
Official enrollment numbers this semester show 5,253 students this semester. Fall 2007 enrollment was 5,161, up from the previous fall’s numbers of 5,065. The increased enrollment can be attributed in part to Grambling State’s recruitment efforts, which have focused primarily on international students.
The ULS schools with the largest increases are Southeastern in Hammond, where enrollment was up 3.16 percent, and Louisiana Tech in Ruston, where enrollment rose 3.23 percent. Southeastern’s is 15,224, and Tech’s enrollment is 10,950.
GSU’s other neighbor to the east, the University of Louisiana at Monroe, had an increase of 2.65 percent, to 8,767 students.
System President Randy Moffett says the figures released Wednesday show that heightened recruitment efforts under way at the campuses are bearing fruit.
Moffett says the increase in enrollment is particularly positive in light of the turmoil on campuses caused by hurricanes Gustav and Ike.
“It is much due to the active interaction with students and efficient operations of the campuses before, during and after the storms,” Moffett said.
The largest school in the system, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, was the only school where enrollment went down. This semester there is a .15 percent drop, with 25 fewer students than there were in fall 2007, when enrollment was 16,345.
Remaining schools in the System and their official enrollments are McNeese State in Lake Charles, 8,294 students; Northwestern State in Natchitoches, 9,111; and Nicholls State in Thibodaux, 6,926.