2014: 3,264
2013 : 3,062
2012: 2,980
The student body continues to grow at Washington State University Vancouver, where enrollment increased by 5.4 percent over last fall.
Statewide, total enrollment at Washington State University campuses grew by 1,007 students, or 4 percent more than fall 2013, according to the WSU communications office in Pullman.
“We have our highest enrollment ever,” said Nancy Youlden, vice chancellor for student affairs at WSU Vancouver.
The campus enrolled 3,264 students; 454 of those are graduate students.
WSU Vancouver reached other benchmarks: the largest freshman class, at 270 students; largest percentage of minority students, 20.8 percent; and the largest number of new transfer students, with 645 total.
Clark College provides the largest number of transfer students, followed by Lower Columbia College in Longview.
Youlden surmised possible contributing factors to the growth.
“We’ve worked out the bugs with our new student information system. We made some big changes with financial aid. We’re more responsible with our processing and communication. Students received their (financial aid) award letters earlier,” Youlden said.
“It doesn’t hurt that we’ve added the hospitality business management and neuroscience programs,” she said.
“We’re continuing to look at ways to attract and retain our students. There’s a need for higher education here,” she said.
For the third consecutive year, tuition did not increase. Before that, state universities had double-digit tuition increases for about four years, Youlden said.
Tuition and fees for a full-time, undergraduate resident is $5,693 per semester, or $11,386 annually. Full-time, resident graduate students pay $5,868 or $11,736 annually.
