USM ‘00 Enrollment Largest in State

Final enrollment figures for the fall of 2000 show that a record 10,820 students are attending the University of Southern Maine, making it Maine’s largest institution of higher education -in total headcount- for the fifth consecutive year. The new figures also mark the seventh consecutive year of enrollment increases for USM.

The fall 2000 enrollment compares to 10,645 in the fall of 1999, 10,462 in 1998, and 10,230 in the fall of 1997. The figures, which include all full and part-time, graduate and undergraduate students, are included in the University of Maine System’s annual enrollment report.

The number of full-time students is up for the sixth consecutive year, a 3 percent increase this year to a record total of 5,128, compared to last year’s total of 4,982. Out-of-state enrollment also has increased for the second consecutive year, to a total of 766, compared to the 1999 total of 735.

USM continues to generate more credit hours, a key indicator of growth since it is a measure of classes taken and tuition generated. Last fall, students signed up for 91,290 credit hours, a two percent increase over the fall 1998 total of 89,440. This fall, USM students are taking an additional 1,874 credit hours, for a total of 93,163.

USM attracted 953 freshmen for the fall 2000 semester, the exact same number of freshmen who were on campus in the fall of 1999. The class of freshmen totaled 918 in 1998. The 1999 and 2000 figures mark the highest number of freshmen since the fall of 1992. Dormitories, which house more than 1,200 students, also are at capacity for the fourth time in as many years. A new 221-student dorm is under construction in Gorham, and is scheduled to open in time for the fall 2001 semester.

“Our strong enrollment growth reflects our growing academic reputation and efforts over the past five years to develop programs that respond to clearly defined community needs,” said USM President Richard L. Pattenaude.

The new enrollment totals come at a time when the USM Board of Visitors, in an independently funded report, are advocating that USM further expand programs, and become one of the top-ranked comprehensive universities in the U.S.