Recently released figures suggest this year’s freshman class has the highest average standardized test score compared to previous classes. The University released 14th-day enrollment figures, a set of statistics used to characterize the campus makeup and presented for both award and funding purposes. The overall enrollment fell from 29,317 in fall 2006 to 28,019 in fall 2007. But according to James McCoy, vice provost for enrollment management, this year’s freshman class boasts quality not quantity. “LSU’s enrollment figures display the great strides that the University has made to increase the quality of education offered and the quality of student attending college here,” he said. The freshman class increased from 5,936 in 2006 to 6,301 in 2007 and average ACT scores are up this year. According to the Office of Budget and Planning, the average ACT scores among freshmen went from 25.2 composite in 2006 to 25.4 composite in 2007. The average ACT score submitted by black freshmen was a 23, which is five points above the national average, according to the report. Additionally, the number of Hispanic freshmen increased 36 percent this year. Of the 8,149 students accepted to the University in the spring, 4,596 enrolled as freshmen in the fall, according to the report. In addition to accepting more students, the University also received more applications in 2007 than in 2006. Among individual colleges, the Honors College and E.J. Ourso College of Business both saw the biggest increases, with Honors College enrollment increasing by 33 percent. Within the freshman class, out-of-state enrollment also increased, namely with a 54 percent increase in students from Texas. Among in-state freshmen, the top five parishes are East Baton Rouge, Orleans, St. Tammany, Jefferson and Lafayette. The overall number of female students in the University fell from 15,341 in fall 2006 to 14,521 in fall 2007. This drop in female enrollment did not drastically affect the gender divide on campus, as women remained 52 percent of the student population. “This years class mirrors last year’s, and we are pleased with the quality and composition,” McCoy said.
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University releases fall enrollment numbers
September 25, 2007