{"id":45424,"date":"2022-09-09T14:36:53","date_gmt":"2022-09-09T18:36:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=45424"},"modified":"2022-09-13T17:32:11","modified_gmt":"2022-09-13T21:32:11","slug":"utc-reports-substantial-enrollment-increases-enhanced-recruitment-efforts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2022\/09\/utc-reports-substantial-enrollment-increases-enhanced-recruitment-efforts\/","title":{"rendered":"UTC reports substantial enrollment increases, enhanced recruitment efforts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Official census data for the Fall 2022 semester has been recorded, with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga seeing substantial increases in the size of its freshman class, new graduate students and students coming from out of state.<\/p>\n

The incoming first-time, full-time freshman class has been reported at 2,229, an increase of 8.2% from last fall. This is in line with the University\u2019s growth trajectory from the pre-COVID years, when the first-year class grew from 1,852 in 2015 to 2,297 in 2019. In a sign that the market for advanced education is growing, the campus also saw a 5.9% increase in new graduate students.<\/p>\n

Overall, total headcount at UTC this fall is 11,283, comprised of 9,884 undergraduates and 1,399 graduate students. This fall\u2019s freshman-to-sophomore retention rate of 72.5% is higher than any pre-COVID year, while 57% of UTC full-time undergraduate students are registered for at least 15 hours\u2014a key metric for Soar in Four, a program designed to keep full-time undergrads on track for a four-year graduation. (That figure stood at just 32% five years ago.)<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very encouraged to see our strong incoming freshmen and graduate student numbers in particular, which is a signal that students and families value the contribution higher education can make on one\u2019s career trajectory and overall quality of life,\u201d said UTC Chancellor Steven R. Angle. \u201cThe education we provide is critical for Tennessee workforce development, especially in the Southeastern region and our nearby surrounding states. UTC must continue to develop skilled, prepared graduates to meet the demands of tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Benefiting from its affiliation with the UT System and the availability of UT Promise scholarship funds, UTC has also made education increasingly affordable. Nearly 600 UTC students are attending the institution tuition-free thanks to UT Promise, a scholarship program covering all tuition and fees for students who fall below an income threshold. Initiated in 2020, UT Promise kicks in after other financial aid sources are counted, such as the HOPE scholarship, Pell grants, and other institutional scholarships.<\/p>\n

In the larger snapshot, incoming UTC freshmen hail from 78 Tennessee counties, 26 states and eight countries outside the U.S. The university is also seeing a new freshman class with academic strength \u2013 this year\u2019s new freshmen have an average GPA of 3.6.<\/p>\n

Other notable numbers include:<\/p>\n