RUSSELLVILLE (KFSM) – Arkansas Tech University has become the third largest university in The Natural State, according to a news release.
On Thursday (Sept. 11), the university did a preliminary headcount on the 11th day of class and had 12,003 students for the fall 2014 semester, the release states.
This is a 5.6 percent increase from the fall 2013 semester, according to the release.
Thanks to the increase, Arkansas Tech University has passed by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the University of Central Arkansas in Conway to become the third largest institution of higher learning in The Natural State, the release states.
“Today marks a significant milestone in the history of Arkansas Tech,” said University President Dr. Robin E. Bowen. “The fact that in one decade we have grown from the sixth-largest university in our state to become one of the three largest is a testament to the quality of our academic programs and our institutional commitment to serve a diverse community of learners. This achievement is a point of pride for each member of the Arkansas Tech family.”
Enrollment at the college has increased by 183 percent since 1997, according to the release.
This fall semester also marks the 16th consecutive year that Arkansas Tech University has established a new record for largest enrollment, the release states.
The freshmen class of fall 2014 is also the largest that the college has ever had, according to the release.
Of the 1,684 freshmen at the college, 50.1 percent are women and 49.9 percent are men, the release states.
