University of Oregon Projects Increased Number of Freshmen to Attend This Year

New freshmen enrollment at the U of O is expected to exceed 3,100.

U of O campus Photo courtesy: cuhk.edu.hk

(EUGENE) - University of Oregon officials expect final tallies to show that more than 3,100 freshmen will start their studies at the university this fall.

This number is up by nearly 100 students from the previous year.

"While the number of freshmen is expected to increase dramatically, the total enrollment should remain well within the university's goals for managing growth at a level that allows us to serve students well," said Martha Pitts, director of admissions.

This is the largest number of new freshmen enrolled since the university increased admission requirements in 2002.

Seventy-five percent of admitted students met the guaranteed admission requirements of 16 academic units and 3.25 grade point average.

"We have raised the expectations for preparation of students entering the University of Oregon and we are excited to see more of those well-prepared students coming to study here," Pitts said.

In addition to increases in total freshman enrollment, the university also expects to broaden the diversity of that group of students. Officials project that students of color will make up 18 percent of the new class -- two percentage points higher than in 2005. That represents an increase of more than 100 students, with gains in the numbers of Hispanic, Native American, and Asian students.

In addition, more new international students are expected in the freshman class as well.

According to Pitts, the university has made a strong effort to attract top students from varied backgrounds by using scholarships to acknowledge achievement and make an education more affordable.

One new tool for addressing affordability is the Dean's Access Award which provides an additional $1,000 per year to new Oregon resident freshmen who receive the university Dean's Scholarship and who demonstrate a level of financial need as determined by federal guidelines.

"The idea behind the Dean's Access Award," Pitts said, "is to keep top Oregon students in Oregon and to make that education more affordable."

Official enrollment numbers for 2006-2007 will be provided by the Chancellor's Office in mid-November.

Pitts expects the total enrollment number to be in the range of last year's enrollment, which was 20,394.