Stephen F. Austin State University

Spring enrollment figures at Stephen F. Austin State University show that the university is continuing to attract larger numbers of new students.

Overall enrollment at SFA is up 1.8 percent, with 10,822 students enrolled for spring semester classes. Last spring the university enrolled 10,628. Of the students enrolled, 2,459 are freshmen, a 13.8 percent increase over last spring’s freshmen enrollment of 2,160.

“It is very promising to see our fourth consecutive increase in long-semester enrollment,” said Dr. Baker Pattillo, SFA President. “When students enroll at SFA, they are responding to a commitment the university has made to provide top quality and fulfilling educational opportunities. When enrollment numbers go up, it is an indication that the university is moving in the right direction. I appreciate the members of SFA’s faculty and staff for their work in fulfilling the university’s mission and providing that opportunity.”

The College of Education showed the greatest growth in the number of students, with an increase of 106 for a total of 3,414 students enrolled.

“The most exciting aspect of the increase is the number of freshmen and transfer students who have enrolled,” said Dr. John Jacobson, dean of the college. “We went from 375 freshmen last spring to 461 this spring. This is due to a number of new grants that we’ve received, faculty and staff recruiting efforts and community college articulation agreements we’ve recently signed. Those efforts are paying off for us and increasing the number of trained educators and other professionals in such areas as health science, hospitality administration, interior design and fashion merchandising in the state.”

Other areas with enrollment increases included the College of Sciences and Mathematics, with an increase of 49 students, or 3.1 percent, for a total enrollment of 1,611; and the College of Forestry and Agriculture, with a 5.2 percent increase. The college enrolled 584 students this year, as compared to 555 students in spring 2006. The College of Liberal and Applied Arts added 28 students, for a total of 2,803 students and a 1 percent increase. The College of Fine Arts grew by 3.5 percent, now enrolling 715.

The increase in enrollment is mirrored by an increase in numbers of new students living on campus. Two new residence halls, Lumberjack Village and Lumberjack Lodge, opened in 2006 and feature private bedrooms, outdoor recreation areas and community areas. There are 3,446 students living on campus this spring, a 12 percent increase from spring 2006, when 3,062 students resided in on-campus housing.

The enrollment increase comes as the university is in the midst of two construction projects: a renovated and enlarged student center, slated for completion in April, and a new 78,000-square-foot student recreation center, due for completion in the summer.

Download the Spring 2007 Census Report (PDF)