Enrollment Tops 13,900; Regents Increase Tuition

Student enrollment for fall 2003 was more than 13,900 students, including a larger freshman class than last year, according to statistics compiled by the Office of the Registrar. Total enrollment stands at 13,937, a decrease of 275 students from last fall's enrollment of 14,159. 
Baylor's freshman class includes 2,678 students, an increase of 58 from last fall. Returning students, which number 8,582 this year, were down 303. "The difference in the returning students can be attributed to last year's smaller freshman class and the larger than normal graduating class in 2003," said Dr. Tom Bohannon, assistant vice president and director of the Office of Information Management and Testing.
He also said that the retention rate among last year's freshman class increased to 84 percent, which is the second largest freshman retention rate in the past six years. "These students are also the first who entered Baylor under the new flat-rate tuition plan," Dr. Bohannon said.
At its Sept. 12 meeting, the Board of Regents increased tuition for undergraduate students entering Baylor in fall 2004 to $17,900, a 6.87 percent increase over fall 2003's rate of $16,750. Continuing students who enrolled prior to fall 2002 will see a tuition increase of 6.71 percent to $461 per semester hour.
Also, the general student fee will increase 7.97 percent to $1,490 per year, room rates will increase 7.04 percent to $2,920 per year and board will increase 3.2 percent to $2,792 per year.
Other tuition increases will be 6.88 percent for new graduate students and 6.67 percent for George W. Truett Theological Seminary students. New law students entering fall 2004 will see a 12.5 percent increase while continuing law students will experience a 9 percent increase in tuition.
Overall, Baylor has enrolled 11,712 undergraduates; 1,291graduate students; 440 in law school; and a record 379 in Truett Seminary. At the U.S. Army Academy of Health Sciences in San Antonio, where Baylor has graduate programs in health care administration and physical therapy, 112 students are enrolled. Also, three students are enrolled in the doctor of science in physical therapy program at West Point, another degree program operated jointly by Baylor and the U.S. Army.