Although the fall 2004 freshman class at the University of Colorado at Boulder is expected to be smaller than last year, as planned, overall enrollment is projected to be slightly higher with about 29,450 degree-seeking students.
Last year, a total of 29,151 degree-seeking students enrolled at CU-Boulder. Â鶹ÊÓƵ 5,170 new freshmen will attend this fall, a decrease of about 400 or 7 percent from the previous year's total of 5,571.
The reduction in number of freshmen -- the first since 2001 -- meets the target for reducing the size of the class announced last September by Chancellor Richard L. Byyny. Byyny set a target of 5,300 for the 2004 incoming class, a 5 percent reduction, with a tentative additional 5 percent reduction for the entering class in fall 2005.
The reduction in freshman enrollment was planned to moderate the impact of growth over the last 10 years, especially in the number of undergraduates.
"Our vision for CU-Boulder's Quality for Colorado initiative emphasizes growth in quality, rather than growth in enrollment," Byyny said. "We want to get better, not just bigger. By stabilizing our overall enrollment growth, we hope to better serve all of our students."
The number of new freshmen enrolling from Colorado is expected to be right on target at about 2,990, or 5 percent fewer than the 3,137 Colorado freshmen last year. The number of new freshmen enrolling from out of state is expected to be about 2,180, or 10 percent fewer than the 2,434 in 2003. Almost 58 percent of new freshmen will be Colorado residents, up from 56 percent last year.
Total applications to CU-Boulder in 2004 were 19,334, compared to 20,896 in 2003. Academic credentials of the new freshmen will be similar or slightly higher than those for 2003 freshmen.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ 1,450 transfer students are expected, down slightly from 1,477 in 2003.
Of the projected 29,450 degree-seeking students expected to enroll, more will be undergraduate students than in fall 2003, with about 400 more undergraduate students and roughly 100 fewer graduate students expected. Students from Colorado will make up about 68 percent of overall enrollment, up from 67 percent in 2003.
The slight increase in overall enrollment is coupled with declining funds from state tax dollars. The allocation to CU-Boulder for fiscal year 2004-05 is $56.5 million, a decline of 33 percent since 2002-03.
All freshmen -- except those living at home -- will be housed in campus residence halls.
Course availability for undergraduates "is comparable to recent years," said Richard Nishikawa, assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. "In most cases students are getting the courses they need, if not the times they prefer."
Also, the average course load for undergraduates is up 1 percent from last year to 13.8 hours.
The reductions in freshman class size are part of CU-Boulder's Quality for Colorado initiative. The Colorado Commission on Higher Education did not re-approve the Quality for Colorado increase in tuition for 2004-05. The campus plans to pursue Quality for Colorado objectives focusing on basic infrastructure, enrollment growth impacts and quality enhancements, assuming CCHE approval of the associated tuition plan in future years.
Final fall 2004 enrollment numbers for new and continuing students will be available the week of Sept. 13, after the campus census is conducted.
For numbers of new CU-Boulder freshmen from 1988 through 2003, see .