UWA’s freshman class grows by 22 percent for fall 2017

LIVINGSTON, Ala.—The University of West Alabama has announced its fall 2017 enrollment, including triple-digit growth percentages in freshman interest and an increase in overall on-campus enrollment for the third consecutive year.

UWA’s freshman enrollment is up 22 percent from last year, from 370 to 453. This is UWA’s highest freshman enrollment since 1995, the year the school’s name was changed to reflect its commitment as a regional institution providing not only quality education, but also improving the quality of life for the citizens of west Alabama.

According to Dr. Blake Bedsole, director of admissions and enrollment management at UWA, the significant increases are the results of several efforts to grow enrollment.

“Our University has made an intentional effort to improve our communication plans,” Bedsole explained. “We’ve expanded our multi-channel marketing efforts, and our traveling counselors and in-house admissions staff have worked extremely hard to produce this kind of result.”

The enrollment number is not the only significant increase. UWA saw a staggering increase in freshman applications for the fall 2017 semester, growing by triple-digit percentages in several categories.

“These numbers prove that UWA is becoming a top choice for many students, and that more students are considering UWA than ever before. Equally impressive is the fact that the significant growth of the freshman class comes with no degradation in academic quality,” Bedsole said.

In this year’s freshman class, the average ACT score is 21, and average high school GPA is 3.35. Many of these students were valedictorian or salutatorian of their high school graduating class.

UWA’s 2017 freshman class represents 57 of Alabama’s counties, 16 states in the U.S., and five other countries.

Overall on-campus enrollment is up 3 percent, from 1,772 in fall 2016 to 1,819 students enrolled in on-campus classes for fall 2017. This number does not include online enrollment, which when factored in increases overall enrollment by 18 percent, from 3,514 to 4,148.

“This year’s admissions and enrollment numbers are very encouraging for UWA, especially considering that enrollment is flat or declining in many institutions across the U.S.,” said UWA President Ken Tucker. “Our University is committed to building on these efforts and continuing to recruit outstanding students, growing our academic and student offerings, and providing a high-quality, safe, and enjoyable educational experience that will prove an excellent return on investment for students for years to come.”

Established in 1835, the University of West Alabama is a fully accredited, four-year public institution located on a 600-acre campus in Livingston, Ala. UWA offers nearly 60 undergraduate and nearly 40 graduate degree programs. For more information on admissions, visit enroll.uwa.edu.