Gallaudet enrollment figures show a changing student body

Editor: Here's Gallaudet's press release announcing their fall 2007 enrollments. The enrollment of all categories of students is down by 190 students compared to fall 2006, and new students (about 10%), with new students down by 88, or 16%. Gallaudet attributes much of the decline to tougher admission standards.

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October 2007

Official enrollment figures for the fall semester have been released by the Office of Institutional Research. The total enrollment for the current semester is 1,633 students: 1,080 undergraduates, 414 graduates, and 139 professional studies students. New students admitted to Gallaudet represent 472 of the grand total.

The enrollment for fall 2006 was 1,823 students-1,206 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and 187 taking professional studies--560 of whom were new students.

Although this year's new undergraduate class is smaller than previous years, the applicants for enrollment who were turned down almost doubled those of past years, said Interim Dean of Enrollment Management Catherine Andersen. Accordingly, statistics show the quality of this year's new undergraduates is markedly higher than previous years. Reflecting the University's higher admissions standards, 81 percent of new undergraduates were admitted with no English conditions-an increase from 59 percent last year; 15 percent of this year's students meet the requirements for Honors-level English (though not necessarily enrollment in the Honors Program)-almost doubling last year's figure of 8 percent; and 67 percent are enrolled in freshman English-up from 51 percent last year. Based on the math placement test, 25 percent of new students were admitted without conditions-up from 14 percent last year.

Undergraduate students make up 66 percent of the University's total enrollment for 2007-the same as last fall; graduate students represent 25 percent-slightly up from 24 percent last year; and professional studies students fill in the remaining 9 percent-10 percent last fall.

The undergraduate total is broken down as 1,018 degree-seeking students--compared with 1,138 for the fall 2006 semester; 22 visiting, exchange, international interns and undergraduate special students-the same as last fall; and 40 English Language Institute students--six students less than last fall. In the undergraduate category, there are 226 new degree-seeking students-281 for last fall's semester; 176 first-time freshmen-212 last fall; 46 transfers-67 last fall; and four second-degree students-up from two last fall.

In the graduate student category, there are 383 degree-seeking students--versus 404 last fall; and 31 graduate special students-an increase of five students from a year ago. Of these, 117 are new graduate students-168 last fall; and 17 new graduate special students-the same as last fall.
Professional studies students total 139 this year-compared with 187 last year. (NOTE: Graduate special and professional studies figures include those students previously categorized as graduate extension and international intern.) In this area, 74 students are new, an increase from 58 last year.
Diversity among United States students overall has remained fairly consistent over the past five years, the figures reveal. Of this year's U.S. undergraduates, 12 percent are African American, 6 percent are Asian/Pacific Islanders, 3 percent are Native American, 9 percent are Hispanic/Latino, 70 percent are Caucasian, and 1 percent is unknown. U.S. graduate students break down to 8 percent African American, 4 percent Asian/Pacific Islanders, 1 percent Native American, 6 percent Hispanic/Latino, 74 percent Caucasian, and 8 percent unknown.

Another diversity-related statistic is the growth in cochlear implant users among students enrolled at the University. This year, among undergraduate students there are 65 students with cochlear implants, 24 of them being new students, whereas last year there were 55 undergraduates who used cochlear implants, and 22 were new students. Percentage-wise, cochlear implant users represent 11 percent of new undergraduates and 6 percent of all undergraduates. Last year, they represented 8 percent of new undergraduates and 5 percent of undergraduates overall.