Buoyed by one of the largest first-year classes in school history, Eastern Washington University’s fall enrollment has set a record for the sixth consecutive year.
The overall headcount for the fall 2014 quarter, which includes all students who take classes at every level at Eastern, jumped by 662 students to 13,453. The number of first-time freshmen is 1,598, falling just short of the 2005 record of 1,610.
“The freshman numbers reflect the culture of collaboration at EWU,” EWU President Mary Cullinan said. “It literally takes a village to bring in a first-year class. The great interest students have shown in coming to Eastern demonstrates we’re doing a great job of responding to their interests and expectations — the university is proving it can adapt to what these students need.”
Cullinan noted that Eastern’s relevant and challenging academic programs, excellent campus living-learning environment, involved and successful alumni, and outstanding value continue to place the university among the top campuses in the state.
The enrollment numbers also reflect EWU’s strong commitment to retention and student success, as the first to second year retention rate increased by almost three percentage points, to nearly 78 percent.
Also of note, the overall diversity of the student body increased as well, to more than 35 percent.
In addition to record-breaking overall enrollments, EWU has the largest residential population in its 132-year history. More than 2,000 students live on campus in eight residence halls, including the new state-of-the-art Snyamncut Hall.
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