Southeast's overall enrollment declines slightly; freshman enrollment rises

Southeast Missouri State University has nine fewer students enrolled this fall semester than a year ago, despite growing freshman enrollment.

The school has 11,978 full- and part-time students enrolled in classes, down from 11,987 students in fall 2015.

Enrollment numbers include not only the main campus in Cape Girardeau, but the regional campuses in Sikeston, Malden and Kennett. Enrollment numbers for each regional campus were unavailable Wednesday.

Undergraduate enrollment increased slightly, fueled by a 9.1 percent increase in the beginning freshman class, enrollment data shows.

But graduate enrollment dropped 8.2 percent, to 1,285 students. In fall 2015, the university had 1,400 graduate students enrolled in classes.

Students at Southeast Missouri State University have lunch Wednesday in the University Center.Fred Lynch

Debbie Below, vice president for enrollment management and student success, said, "I am delighted to see where enrollment is."

She singled out increased enrollment of beginning freshmen as a positive for the university.

"We are off to a good start," said Below, who also serves as dean of students at Southeast. "This is a freshman class that seems energized with the campus."

Southeast has 1,858 full- and part-time beginning freshman students enrolled as of the end of the first four weeks of classes, an increase of 155 students from fall 2015, according to information from the university's office of institutional research.

Southeast also has 707 returning freshmen, down from 807 from a year ago.

Southeast has 1,854 sophomores, three more than in fall 2015.

The junior class saw a drop of 54 students, to 1,915. The number of seniors declined by 65 students, to 2,543.

Below said Southeast experienced smaller freshmen classes in two of the last three years, which is reflected in some of the enrollment numbers for upperclassmen.

Dual-credit enrollment of high school students in Southeast classes stands at 1,340 students, up 16.5 percent over a year ago.

Below attributed the increase to expanding the dual-credit program to more high schools and offering more dual-credit courses, as well as reducing course fees for such classes about three years ago.

International student enrollment fell by 12 percent, from 1,131 in 2015 to 992 this fall. Southeast has fewer students enrolled in the intensive English program, which accounts for much of the decrease, Below said.

She praised the school's efforts to educate students.

"I am incredibly proud of what the university does," she said, adding students graduate from Southeast ready to compete for jobs.

Southeast, she said, has focused on student recruitment and retention when it comes to raising enrollment.

Student recruitment is "a very competitive environment," Below said.

Student retention also is important, she added.

"There is a real desire for students to complete college," she said.

Last month, the university reported it had the highest student-retention rate in recent school history.

Southeast has experienced a 74 percent freshman-to-sophomore retention rate this fall, up from 72.9 percent a year ago, university records show.

Below said the university continues to strive to reach its retention goal of 80 percent.

Students leave Southeast between their first and second years of study for a variety of reasons, including academic performance, family and personal issues and financial problems, Below said.

Other students leave to enroll at other institutions, she said.

About 9,100 students enrolled at Southeast are white. The university has 1,037 black students, an increase of six students from fall 2015, enrollment records show.

Hispanic enrollment grew by 5 percent but still is low. Southeast has 209 Hispanic students enrolled this fall, up from 199 in fall 2015.

Southeast hopes to grow that number, Below said, in part because of the efforts of school president Carlos Vargas-Aburto.

Vargas, who became the president of the school little more than a year ago, grew up in Mexico. As a member of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in St. Louis, Vargas is working to interest Hispanic students in enrolling at Southeast, Below said.

As with most colleges, women outnumber men in the student body. Southeast has 6,898 female students and 5,072 male students.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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