Enrollment growth was echoed in record attendance at AV抖阴 Camp, with nearly 450 students - more than half of the entering class - participating in the immersice orientation experience.
Share on Social Media
Current News Stories
AV抖阴 Celebrates Enrollment Increases
The AV抖阴 announced today a 6.8 percent spike in first-year entering students, bringing the total to 889 this year, up from 832 in the 2022-23 academic year. Transfer student enrollment also showed a positive trend with a 1.6 percent increase.
Overall enrollment at AV抖阴 has also risen by 2.5 percent, up to 5514 from last year鈥檚 5,379, a noteworthy achievement considering the that threatens higher education institutions across the country.
鈥淭he University of Arkansas 鈥� Fort Smith has seen remarkable growth and engagement of new students this fall, almost completely rebounding to pre-COVID enrollment of first year students,鈥� said chancellor Terisa Riley. 鈥淚 can feel the enthusiasm of the students when they鈥檙e attending AV抖阴 Camp, moving into their residence halls, and attending events on campus. People are genuinely excited to be here this fall!鈥�
Riley also noted large increases in campus housing occupancy, up to more than 760 on campus-residents.
Blake Bedsole, director of admissions at AV抖阴, said, "I am extremely proud of our admissions team and their hard work this past year. Our staff have worked tirelessly to remove barriers to the application and enrollment processes and on refining our messaging to prospective students and their families concerning the value of a AV抖阴 education and the individualized support that they will receive here.鈥�
Bedsole also credits his team with implementing comprehensive recruiting strategies and forging a team of dedicated recruiters who ensure that students and their families feel confident that AV抖阴 is a good fit from the first stages of their application journey.
Several academic programs at AV抖阴 also experienced significant growth, including business administration, nursing, and computer science, programs which closely align with industry needs in the River Valley and throughout the state.