SUU Leads the Pack in Enrollment Growth

Published: October 07, 2015 | Read Time: 2 minutes

According to the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) annual enrollment report released this morning, Southern Utah University exceeded Utah’s public colleges and universities average 2 percent enrollment bump with a 16 percent growth over last year.

The total headcount for the fall semester at SUU is 8,881, up 1,125 students from fall 2014. SUU is leading the system in student enrollment in terms of percentage growth. Its closest contender, Snow College, is 9 percent below SUU, and three of the eight public schools show a decline in enrollment. Differences in enrollment numbers between USHE institutions reflect the distinct mission of each institution.

“A major priority of SUU is student success and retention,” said Bradley J. Cook, provost and vice president for academic affairs.

Cook went on to say, “this particular class is the best prepared in the University's history, and one of the best academically prepared classes in the entire Intermountain region. Students of this caliber are well positioned to succeed the rigors of university life and go on to complete their degrees.” 

SUU’s growth supports Utah’s 66 by 2020 initiative, which calls for two-thirds of all Utah adults to hold either a college degree or technical certification by the year 2020. According to the Governor’s Education plan, higher levels of education will expand Utah’s economy and prepare students for the demands of the job market.

Brandon Wright, executive director of admissions and recruitment, said, “These numbers reflect what myself, my team and the SUU community already know; we know that SUU is the best university experience in the state. We’re proud of the caliber of students that are present in our freshman class and are thrilled with the growth.”

SUU President, Scott L Wyatt, couldn’t be happier about the double-digit growth. “We have the largest and most well prepared students in the history of SUU. The team did an extraordinary job of not only appealing to the best and the brightest students, but developing a frictionless process of enrollment.”

Retention is achieved through SUU’s commitment to providing the most innovative and relevant university experience. SUU offers world-class project based learning giving students professional experience before they enter the job market. The personalized undergraduate and graduate education, qualified professors, small class sizes and affordable programming all support the dramatic enrollment increase.

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