Atlanta — June 4, 2007

The University System of Georgia (USG) has posted a gain of 7,672 students since Spring 2006, enrolling just under 250,000 students statewide this spring, according to a report just released by the USG. Enrollment in the state’s public colleges and universities grew 3.2 percent System-wide since Spring 2006, when it was 242,275.

Historically, enrollment is higher in the fall than in the spring semester. The University System enrolled almost 260,000 students in Fall 2006. The USG enrollment report referred to above compares the Spring 2007 enrollment to Spring 2006.

“Our growth has been quite healthy, both in terms of overall numbers and the number of students giving their education more attention,” said USG Chancellor Erroll B. Davis. “Our state colleges serve as gateway institutions, providing critical access to higher education for Georgians, so it is particularly gratifying to have them experience such strong enrollment growth.”

The largest increase in enrollment this spring was among Georgia’s seven public state colleges (access colleges offering a limited number of four-year degrees), which include Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Dalton State College in Dalton, Gainesville State College in Gainesville, Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville, Gordon College in Barnesville, Macon State College in Macon and Middle Georgia College in Cochran. Enrollment in the state-college sector soared 7 percent since last spring, compared to 3.9 percent at the USG’s 13 state universities, 2.5 percent at the four public research universities, 1.8 percent at the System’s nine two-year colleges and 1.3 percent at its two regional universities.

The University System’s full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment grew 3.7 percent (nearly 7,700 students) from Spring 2006 to Spring 2007, and this increase relative to the increase in overall “headcount” means that the System has attracted more full-time students this spring, and part-time students are taking slightly heavier course loads. The FTE enrollment increased by 8.4 percent at the USG’s state colleges, 4.8 percent at the state universities, 2.8 percent at the research universities, 2 percent at two-year colleges and 1.4 percent at regional universities.

Gainesville State College had the biggest increase (15.4 percent, up 846 students to 6,344) in headcount enrollment, followed by Middle Georgia College (12.9 percent, up 331 students to 2,906), East Georgia College (12.8 percent, up 187 students to 1,643), Waycross College (12.6 percent, up 106 students to 945) and Southern Polytechnic State University (10.8 percent, up 405 students to 4,151).

Other highlights of the Spring Semester Enrollment Report include the following facts:

• First-time freshmen enrollment increased by 7.4 percent compared to Spring 2006; and
• Graduate-student enrollment increased by 3.8 percent, following a 2.2 percent decrease between Spring 2005 and Spring 2006.

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