SEMO enrollment stands at 7,917

Southeast Missouri State University had 7,917 students enrolled Monday, the first day of spring semester classes.

The headcount was up 2.8 percent from a year ago.

Dr. Pauline Fox, vice president of administration and enrollment management, predicted final enrollment figures at the end of four weeks will bring enrollment to over 8,700. "We are right on track for that," she said.

Fox said she expects the number of high school students taking college classes and the number of graduate students to increase by the final enrollment deadline.

Total undergraduate headcount was 6,961, up 1.9 percent from a year ago.

First-day figures showed increases in returning freshmen, juniors and seniors.

Southeast had 88 beginning freshmen, down from 119 a year ago. The number of sophomores stood at 1,471, down 14 from a year ago.

But returning freshmen stood at 1,672, up 6.7 percent from spring 2001. Southeast had 1,530 juniors, up 155 from a year ago. Southeast had 1,990 seniors, up 81.

Southeast had 658 graduate students, up 55 from last year. The number of non-degree seeking graduate students stood at 200, up 22.

Southeast had 90 students enrolled in the education specialist graduate program, up 11 from a year ago. Southeast also had eight doctoral students, down from 11 a year ago.

Final enrollment figures are expected after Feb. 8, school officials said.