CENSUS DAY

ECU sets enrollment record

It is another record-setting year for enrollment at East Carolina University. The fall enrollment number of 28,962 students is the largest in the university’s history.

ECU’s Graduate School is breaking its own records with an impressive total of 5,461 students enrolled in more than 75 graduate programs. That number reflects a 9.5-percent increase over 2015 and surpasses the goal of 5,000 students by fall 2019.

“We made several internal changes that have improved our customer service and increased how often we directly interact with potential students,” said Heidi Puckett, director of graduate admissions.

The improvements have included more outreach on the part of the program directors in graduate studies. They work directly with each program and are intentional about reaching prospective students, she said.

Puckett said the largest growth was in the College of Education which saw a 21-percent increase with more students enrolling in the administrative and adult education programs. The College of Business wasn’t far behind with a 16-percent increase this year.

ECU’s total undergraduate enrollment is 22,969, which includes 4,320 freshmen. The total graduate student enrollment – including dental and medical students – is 5,993.

At UNC-system institutions, the 10th day of class is traditionally “census day” when a snapshot is captured of the school’s enrollment data. Enrollment figures are considered preliminary until reviewed and approved by the UNC General Administration.