KEARNEY – Fall 2014 enrollment at University of Nebraska at Kearney remains near 7,000 for the fourth straight year, at 6,902.
This is down slightly from fall 2013’s 7,052 – a difference of 150. First-time, full-time freshmen decreased by 22 compared to fall 2013. Undergraduate students enrolled at UNK for fall 2014 number 5,274.
UNK this fall sees a 5 percent increase over 2013 in graduate students – with a total of 1,628, or 78 graduate students more than last year. International student enrollment decreased from 489 for fall 2013 to 425 in fall 2014.
Ed Scantling, associate vice chancellor for Enrollment Management and Student Success, said UNK is comfortable between 6,800 and 7,200, or could grow slightly more before it reaches capacity. Ensuring undergraduates the best possible residential-university experience remains the university’s mission, he said.
Scantling has been heading an enrollment management task force at UNK for the past three years and in May was appointed in an associate vice chancellor role to continue universitywide efforts to strategically recruit, retain and progress students to graduation within four years.
“Our goal is student success, and our increasing numbers of graduates indicate that measure of success,” Scantling said. “We are in a competitive recruitment market. We will continue to look at ways to tell UNK’s story across Nebraska, the U.S. and the world to bring students to success here in Kearney.”
The largest class of spring graduates and undergraduates in school history graduated in May 2013 – 713; with December 2013 graduates numbering 411, and May 2014 graduates numbering 703.
Some other data of interest: UNK’s enrollment of students of color continues to increase – up 11.3 percent over fall 2013 (876 students compared to 787). Hispanic enrollment continues to grow – up 13 percent over fall 2013 (584 students compared to 517). Internationally, 55 countries are represented, with the six largest: Japan (115); South Korea (100); China (91); Mexico (51); Colombia (22) and Brazil (14).
Scantling said nearly 90 percent of UNK’s first-time freshmen come from Nebraska, reflecting UNK’s mission. First-time freshmen from Nebraska increased 1 percent this fall over last year.
UNK surpassed the 7,000 mark in fall 2011 following more than a decade ranging from 6,379 (2003) to 6,849 (1998).
UNK Enrollment Trend since 1999 (head count)
2014 6,902
2013 7,052
2012 7,199
2011 7,100
2010 6,753
2009 6,650
2008 6,543
2007 6,478
2006 6,468
2005 6,445
2004 6,382
2003 6,379
2002 6,395
2001 6,426
2000 6,506
1999 6,780
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Contact: Ed Scantling, 308-865-8502, scantlinge@unk.edu
Contact: Dusty Newton, 308-865-8526, newtond@unk.edu
