Record freshman class affirms UTSA’s reputation as a destination for new college students

OCTOBER 5, 2023 — The University of Texas at San Antonio welcomed its largest freshman class in university history. This fall, nearly 6,000 first-year students enrolled at UTSA, a 3% increase over last fall, a strong enrollment number indicating that UTSA remains a destination of choice for students across Texas.

In all, 34,864 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled for the fall 2023 semester, a 1.5% increase over last fall’s total enrollment, according to preliminary data from the UTSA Office of Institutional Research and Analysis.

“UTSA offers numerous pathways for students to become Roadrunners, and as a university we have implemented comprehensive, integrated enrollment strategies for each of our distinct student audiences — first time in college, continuing, transfer, master’s, doctoral and adult learners,” said Senior Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment Lynn Barnes Jr. “These include admissions process improvements, student success initiatives, targeted marketing campaigns and new degree offerings at all levels, among others. At the core of each of these strategies is our commitment to providing a top-quality education at an affordable price by growing our institutional financial aid.”

“UTSA offers numerous pathways for students to become Roadrunners.”

For example, Barnes said, just over 500 students are entering UTSA as part of the university’s Bold Promise program this fall, bringing the total number of currently enrolled Bold Promise students to over 1,800. These high-achieving students, who come from low and middle-income families in Texas, are attending college with their tuition and mandatory fees covered by UTSA as long as they meet eligibility requirements.

In addition to enrollment gains, the data shows that undergraduate students are taking 3.8% more semester credit hours, compared to fall 2022. UTSA is encouraging students to take more classes each semester, since students who take at least 15 semester credit hours continuously each fall and spring semester have higher GPAs, graduate faster, enter the workforce quicker and start earning a salary sooner. The average time to degree for UTSA students currently stands at 4.4 years

Online enrollment experienced rapid growth as well. This fall, for the first time, the number of students enrolled in UTSA’s seven fully online degree and certificate programs climbed above 1,000 students, a 31% increase over last year.

Earlier this year, U.S. News & World Report placed UTSA Online in the top quartile of all online bachelor’s degree programs. With nearly 80% of UTSA Online students aged 23 or older, UTSA is meeting the needs of adult learners and preparing them with the skills and knowledge needed by employers to advance the region’s workforce, said Vice Provost for Academic Innovation Melissa Vito.

“Our increase in online enrollment and our growing statewide and national reputation reflect our strong commitment to serving students who might not otherwise choose to come to college to either start or finish a degree,” Vito said. “Our team has made intentional investments in faculty development and collaborates across colleges to nurture the high-quality courses and programs that online students are seeking.”

This fall’s census data also indicated that 50% of UTSA students come from Bexar County and 46% from other counties in Texas, further demonstrating that UTSA is driving economic mobility in the region and state. U.S. News & World Report ranks UTSA No. 47 nationally for social mobility, and think tank Third Way ranks UTSA No. 50 in the U.S. in its annual Economic Mobility Index.

UTSA’s 176 degree programs, including six that are new this year, provide students numerous pathways to help students build their careers. The top five most popular academic programs chosen by incoming UTSA students this fall are biology, business studies, exploratory studies (which provides students an opportunity to explore various majors and career options), psychology and computer science.

Other highlights from this year’s fall enrollment numbers:

• The Carlos Alvarez College of Business (ACOB) remains UTSA’s largest academic college for the second year in a row, with 7,841 students, or 22% of all students. Enrollment in the ACOB has grown 3.5% since last year.
  
  
• Enrollment is also up on a year-over-year basis in the following colleges: Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design, 1.2%; the College of Sciences, 6.2%; University College, 8.8%.
  
  
• The student population at UTSA is 53% female and 47% male.
  
  
• Seventy percent of students at UTSA are from racial and ethnic groups that have been underserved in higher education. Fifty-nine percent are Hispanic.
  
  
• UTSA awarded 5,810 bachelor’s degrees in 2022-2023. Seventy percent were awarded to underrepresented minority students, and 59% were awarded to students who identify as Hispanic or Latino.

“More and more students are choosing UTSA online and on-campus to create their bold futures,” said UTSA Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Heather Shipley. “Our continued growth is a testament to the dedication of the university’s exceptional faculty and staff to make UTSA an innovative place to live, learn, work and discover.” 

— Matthew Boerger