Board of Trustees October 17, 2019 Executive Summary – Fall 2019 Enrollment Overview
This fall, both overall enrollment and first-year student enrollment are greater than last year. CWU has enrolled 3 percent more new undergraduate students (3,348) than in fall 2018 (3,260). Overall enrollment is 12,241 versus 12,124 in fall 2018. Overall enrollment includes undergraduate, graduate, postbaccalaureate, and Running Start students. It does not include the College in the High School dual- enrollment program, which exceeds 3,000 enrollments for fall 2019. Student retention has increased to 71 percent for the 2018 First Year Fall Cohort, compared to 69.3 percent the prior year. Retention for the fall 2018 transfer cohort has also increased: 81.5 percent compared to 82.6 percent for the fall 2017 transfer cohort. First-Year Students: The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education projected nearly flat high school graduation rates in 2019 compared to 2018. Within this context CWU delivered a record number of applications with a slight increase over prior year (1 percent). In addition, new enrollment strategies led to a 15-percent increase in admitted students (8,891) and a 4-percent increase in new enrolled first- year students over the prior year (2,127 in fall 2019 versus 2,046 in fall 2018). Of note is the growth in CWU’s applicant pool of Traditionally Underrepresented Student Groups (TUSG) from 45 percent of our pool to 52 percent in 2019. In other words, for the first time, people of color represented the majority of applicants for admission to CWU. Although we have increased first-year enrollments from the central Washington, eastern Washington, and Portland markets, we are experiencing a second year of decline in the Seattle-Tacoma market. Many schools in the greater Seattle area are extending their admissions deadlines. Some institutions, including the University of Washington-Seattle, has enrolled students from their wait lists for resident undergraduate students while University of Washington – Tacoma and University of Washington – Bothell continue to grow enrollments. Additionally, Washington continues to be a national leader in the number of students who leave the state to attend college. These factors are likely contributors to our slight decline in this market. Overall, CWU’s enrollment success in this competitive environment can be attributed to a new recruitment strategy, process improvements, and efforts of our faculty and staff within the Enrollment Management division and across campus who support new student recruitment, orientation, and onboarding.
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