Indiana University East is continuing to set new enrollment records. Student enrollment has reached an all-time spring semester high.

IU East had the largest increase in student headcount enrollment among all Indiana University campuses.  Enrollment for spring 2011 was 2,975 students, an increase of 7.4 percent compared to the same period last year.  Students are taking 29,614.5 credit hours, up 5.8 percent from last spring.

The enrollment for this spring semester continues the course of significant growth for the campus since 2007, a trend that is reflective of IU East’s mission as a baccalaureate and master’s degree institution.

Chancellor Nasser Paydar said that IU East’s growth is vital to the prosperity and progress of eastern Indiana and western Ohio.

“In his State of the Union address, the President remarked that ‘the education race doesn’t end with a high school diploma…to compete, higher education must be within the reach of every American.’ At IU East, we have created an affordable and accessible higher education system, and students have responded,” Paydar said.  “These students, as graduates, will be poised to provide to the necessary leadership for our region to compete in a global economy.”

Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Larry Richards said that the university is very focused on retaining and graduating its growing number of students.

“Our enrollment keeps climbing at the same time that we continue to be more selective in admissions,” Richards said. “The retention of students is also increasing, with more continuing as full-time students.

“I fully expect that, as these students progress toward the completion of their degrees, our four-year and six-year graduation rates will improve dramatically. Our overriding goal for all undergraduate students is to get them their degrees in as short a time as possible, while giving them the full college experience and the highest quality education available anywhere.”

Enrollment figures are not official until approved by the president of Indiana University.