Growing enrollment leads to record-setting graduation rates that drive the Texas economy

Friday, September 14, 2018 - 11:39

Students who graduate from the University of North Texas soar higher, and this year UNT reached new heights in serving the students of Texas by:

  • awarding a record number of degrees 
  • increasing retention and achieving significant growth in its 4-year graduation rate, and
  • strengthening its commitment to serve the communities of North Texas as the city of Frisco’s higher education partner

Perhaps most importantly though, is the fact that this year, UNT should officially meet the criteria to be designated as a Minority Serving Institution. UNT’s proportion of minority students increased 1.5 percent, making minority students the majority (51.3 percent) of the undergraduate student body and better reflecting the diverse population of the communities of North Texas.

“UNT has long been an inclusive institution that proudly serves all students, caring deeply about each of our students’ success and being committed to helping them achieve their dreams,” said UNT President Neal Smatresk. “AT UNT, we are interested in ensuring the students we admit earn their degrees on time, and our focus on helping our students stay on track is paying off for them and for the communities they join as innovative, critical thinkers ready to work hard.”

This fall, UNT reports an overall headcount of 38,154, and the university awarded 9,465 degrees in the past year (up 3.3 percent from 9,159). The increase in degrees is indicative of UNT’s climbing 4-year graduation rate (up 2 percent: from 35.7 to 37.7) and growing retention rates.

This fall’s class of students includes 32 new National Merit finalists, who join a returning class of 44 finalists, bringing the total number of National Merit Finalists who choose to study at UNT to 76 (up from 55 last fall). And UNT enrolled its largest number of doctoral students in nearly 25 years (1,902). Together, these increases reflect UNT’s commitment to offering the highest-quality education within its 227 degree offerings, the most in North Texas.

Enrollments this fall also continue to show that UNT offers the classes students want and need, as again more students are enrolled online (17,751 up 11.6 percent) and at UNT’s Collin County locations (1,304 up 23.5 percent).

Recently, the city of Frisco selected UNT as its higher education partner and the degree offerings UNT provides at Hall Park in Frisco continues to grow even as the university prepares to open Inspire Park, first as a business incubator in October with classroom space available in January. UNT will continue to expand its offerings in Collin County and online, while creating innovative new degree programs that meet the changing demands of the workforce.

UNT’s enrollment by the numbers breaks down as follows:

38,154 overall headcount

31,402 undergraduate

6,752 graduate

54% female

46% male

5,444 African-American, a 0.4 percent increase over last year

541 American Indian, a 5.3 percent decline over last year

2,824 Asian/Pacific Islander, a 3.4 percent increase over last year

9,257 Hispanic, a 5.5 percent increase over last year

Note: Until the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board verifies enrollment numbers and makes them official later in the fall, all enrollment statistics are unofficial, 12th class day numbers.

UNT News Service
News_Service@unt.edu
(940) 565-2108