The University of South Alabama enrolled a record number of students for the 2015-2016 academic year, setting several new institutional marks even after officials had braced for a possible dip due to tougher admission standards.
Total enrollment reached 16,462 students, according to a university spokesman, marking the largest overall student body in the school’s history. The incoming class also set records as the largest freshman class ever, the largest African-American student population on record, and the largest graduate enrollment the university has seen.
The growth comes just months after South raised its minimum admission requirements, increasing the required ACT score to 19 and the minimum GPA to 2.5. When those changes were announced in June, early projections suggested the tighter standards could shrink the incoming freshman class by roughly 300 students. Instead, enrollment climbed to new highs despite the higher bar for admission.
University officials also reported an improvement in student retention, with 73 percent of the previous year’s freshman class returning for a second year. That figure represents an eight-point increase in retention over the past four years, a trend administrators have pointed to as evidence that recruitment and support efforts are paying off even as the university tightens who it admits.
The surge in students has brought a familiar side effect for anyone who drives to campus: parking has become noticeably harder to find. Students and staff have voiced frustration over crowded lots and longer walks to class as the university works to keep pace with its growing population.
To help address the university’s growing housing needs, the university’s board was expected to approve construction of a new residence hall at a meeting the same week enrollment figures were announced. The new hall is planned for the site of the former Delta 2 dormitories and is expected to follow a similar design to two of the university’s more recently built halls.
University leaders framed the enrollment records as a sign of the school’s rising profile and appeal to prospective students across the region, even as the growth creates practical challenges around parking, housing and classroom capacity that administrators will need to manage in the years ahead.
With enrollment now at an all-time high and a new residence hall in the pipeline, South Alabama appears positioned for continued growth, though university officials have not detailed specific plans to expand parking capacity to match the swelling student population.