New freshmen drive rising enrollment at CU campuses

A significant rise in the number of new freshmen this fall is driving enrollment growth at University of Colorado campuses, which now count nearly 58,000 students.

The figures are preliminary enrollment estimates from the four campuses. Final figures are due to the state in October.

The number of new freshmen at the University of Colorado Boulder is projected at 5,789, an increase of 5.9 percent over Fall 2012. At the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, the 1,602 new freshmen reflect a 10.6 percent increase over last year at this time. The University of Colorado Denver also is anticipating a potentially record-setting number of new freshmen this fall, with more than 1,140 so far, and an increase as high as 20 percent over last year possible.

Across the CU system, which also includes the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, total enrollment – all undergraduate and graduate students – is up 0.7 percent over last year, with an estimated 57,989 students.

The preliminary enrollment estimates by campus:

• University of Colorado Boulder: CU-Boulder has 29,660 students, down 0.6 percent from Fall 2012. New freshmen account for 5,789 of the total, a rise of 5.9 percent.
• University of Colorado Colorado Springs: UCCS is on track for a new enrollment record, with 10,595 on-campus students – up 8 percent over last year. New freshmen account for 1,602 of those students, with the increase of 10.6 percent; that total also is a new record.
• University of Colorado Denver: CU Denver has 13,984 students. While that total is down 2 percent from last year, it includes what is expected to be a record-setting number of new freshmen on campus: more than 1,140 so far, or up to 20 percent more than last year.
• University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus counts 3,750 students, an increase of 1.5 percent over Fall 2012.