Freshmen, returning veterans, graduate students contribute to growth

Cleveland State University announced today that Fall semester enrollment figures have reached a 15-year high, with total student headcount at 16,418 (a 4.2 percent increase over Fall 2008). The increase can be attributed to a number of positive factors at the University, including the ongoing completion of new campus facilities that make CSU an attractive residential choice for new freshmen, the Project SERV program that caters to returning post-911 veterans, and a surge in graduate students seeking professional degrees in a difficult economic climate.

Highlights of the incoming Fall 2009 class at CSU include:

• New first-time CSU student enrollment is up 18.5 percent over Fall 2008;
• Overall enrollment has increased 4.2 percent over Fall 2008;
• Entering freshman class again carries a 3.0+ GPA;
• Undergraduate enrollment is up 1,000 students since fall 2007, after setting new admissions standards;
• 400+ new freshmen receive President’s Opportunity Award, created to help offset reductions to the state’s Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG) program;
• New graduate student enrollment climbs 41 percent for domestic students and 54 percent for international students since last fall;
• Military veterans enrolled in the Project SERV Program, and receiving VA benefits, increased dramatically to 279 students.

“The across-the-board increases in all categories of students speak to the tremendous progress CSU has made in developing attractive programs, along with new and updated facilities that address the needs of students today. Our progress with the incoming class reflects the changing residential nature of our campus, which is giving life to a completely new neighborhood of students in the heart of Cleveland,” said CSU President Ronald M. Berkman.

Click here to see the coverage on WOIO.com.

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