CCU enrolls more academically prepared, more diverse freshman class
The 2015-2016 Enrollment Report showed that this year's freshman class at CCU came from a pool of more than 17,000 applicants. The class has better average ACT and SAT scores than the previous year's; the average GPA is 3.42 compared to 3.37 in 2014. There was an increase in the average SAT score, from 1001 to 1005, and the average ACT score was 22, up from 21 in 2014.
Minority enrollment for freshmen has increased to 29 percent.
CCU's Honors program also saw a 15.7 percent increase in enrollment over 2014 and currently has 428 students enrolled in the program.
"These numbers validate the course we established with our campus master plan, which outlines a strategy for quality, controlled growth toward a goal of growing our enrollment to 12,500 by 2020," said CCU President David A. DeCenzo.
CCU has been named the 19th fastest growing public master's institution, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. The 2014 listing was based on growth from 2002 to 2012.
CCU Provost Ralph Byington credited the enrollment growth to the unique advantages of hands-on learning and engagement with faculty. "We continue to expand our experiential learning opportunities not only to our existing students but to our incoming freshmen," said Byington. "'Experienced at Coastal' extends to our freshmen, and each of CCU's five colleges has created a program to engage those students with our faculty."
'Experienced at Coastal' is the University's quality enhancement plan that aims to provide opportunities for students to link theory with practice through actual hands-on learning across the University's educational programs.