AUSTIN, Texas—The preliminary spring 2004 enrollment total at The University of Texas at Austin is 48,539 students, an 853 student (1.7 percent) decrease from spring 2003, according to Maryann Ruddock, interim assistant vice president and director of the university’s Office of Institutional Research.
The spring 2003 enrollment figure of 49,392 had been a record high for the university, which in 2002 had 48,010 students enrolled for the spring semester.
Preliminary data indicate that the increases realized in average undergraduate course loads last fall are continuing this spring. Average course loads in the College of Liberal Arts increased from 12.82 hours in spring 2003 to 12.89 this spring. College of Natural Sciences course loads increased from an average of 12.89 to 12.98, and university-wide the increase was from 12.94 to 13.03 semester hours. The total semester credit hours decreased by 6,348 (1.1 percent).
Analysis of the undergraduate enrollment shows that new undergraduate enrollment is down by 21 students (2.5 percent) from spring 2003 totals. First-time freshmen increased by four students (4.0 percent) and transfer enrollment decreased by 25 students (3.3 percent).
Undergraduate continuing students decreased by 1,103 (3.1 percent) and re-entering students decreased by 100 students (10 percent).
Undergraduate enrollment decreased or remained stable in all colleges except for Social Work, which increased by 12 (5.8 percent).
Graduate student enrollment (excluding law and doctor of pharmacy) increased by 357 students (3.4 percent) this spring semester. Ruddock said the increase was a function of a 331-student increase (3.3 percent) in continuing student enrollment and an increase in new graduate students of 29 (8.7 percent). She noted there was a slight decrease in re-entering students with three (2.3 percent) fewer than spring 2003. Graduate enrollment (including law and doctor of pharmacy) increased or remained stable in all colleges except Fine Arts, which decreased by 18 (2.8 percent), Ruddock said.
The preliminary data show enrollment decreases for all ethnic groups at the undergraduate level (including foreign students) except Hispanics, Ruddock said. There were three undergraduate students for whom ethnicity was not known, a 1.7 percent increase from last spring.
At the graduate level (including law and doctor of pharmacy) enrollment increased for all ethnic groups except foreign students. There were 28 graduate students for whom ethnicity was not known, an 8.5 percent increase from last year.
University-wide, there were increases in the proportional representation for African American, Asian American and Hispanic students, due primarily to increases in the graduate level, Ruddock said.
The numbers of students in various ethnic groups based on total enrollment this spring compared with spring 2003 are: 28,770 white (a 3.1 percent decrease over the 29,689 in spring 2003), 6,889 Asian American, ((0.3 percent decrease from the previous 6,910), 6,176 Hispanic (2.2 percent increase over the previous 6,045), 1,633 African American (1.5 percent increase over the previous 1,609) and 190 American Indian (0.4 percent decrease from the previous 194). There also are 4,348 foreign students (2.1 percent decrease from the previous 4,443) enrolled. Ethnicity was not known for 533 students.
Analysis of the spring 2004 figures shows 35,916 undergraduate (a 3.3 percent decrease from spring 2003), 10,480 graduate students (a 3.4 percent increase) and 1,783 law and doctor of pharmacy (0.8 percent increase) students enrolled. The total 2004 preliminary spring enrollment includes 24,546 females and 23,993 males, Ruddock said.
Texas residents compose 80.7 percent (81.1 percent in spring 2003) of the total enrollment, 10.3 percent (9.9 percent) come from other states in the United States and 9 percent (9 percent) are foreign students.
For more information contact: Robert D. Meckel, 512-475-7847.
