The University of Houston-Victoria’s preliminary spring enrollment reached 4,378 students thanks to a large increase in new student and graduate enrollment.
As of Wednesday, UHV experienced a 50.3 percent increase in the number of new students enrolled in the university compared with the previous spring. The overall preliminary enrollment for the spring is 5.2 percent higher than the previous spring. An official enrollment count is taken on the 12th class day of each semester.
“UHV’s growth reflects the work of faculty, staff and administrators in Victoria and Katy to strengthen and promote our academic programs,” said Chance Glenn Sr., UHV provost and vice president of academic affairs. “The university is working to launch new programs in the future to continue to build upon this enrollment momentum.”
UHV saw double-digit growth in all areas of the new student population, including preliminary increases of 29.2 percent in freshmen, 45.6 percent in sophomores, 27.6 percent in juniors, 53.3 percent in seniors, 44.4 percent in post-baccalaureate and 74 percent in graduate enrollment.
Thanks to the increase in the number of new graduate students, overall graduate enrollment rose to 1,249, a 13.9 percent increase compared with preliminary enrollment numbers from the previous spring.
The university’s new student enrollment growth stems from being more proactive when working with students, said Jose Cantu, UHV vice president for enrollment management. During the spring application process, the enrollment management team focused on personalized communications to reach and engage students throughout the enrollment process.
“The increase in our student population is exciting to see because it reflects the results behind our incredible collaborations across the university and the new momentum behind our enrollment team,” Cantu said. “There’s a lot of positive energy and strategies at UHV that have led to this growth, especially becoming more student-centered in our focus and efforts.”
In addition to enrollment growth in areas across the student population, UHV saw an increase in the total number of hours students are taking. Preliminary spring numbers show students are taking 40,730 credit hours, a 5 percent increase compared with the previous spring. That includes a 17.2 percent increase in the number of graduate credit hours.
Final spring enrollment figures and a breakdown of student demographics will be available later in the spring semester after certification from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.