For the first time in Southern Utah University history the student population has surpassed 11,000 people. This is a 10.1 percent increase from the previous year.
“SUU has often been called the best secret in the state university system,” said Brandon Wright, assistant vice president for enrollment management. “One thing is for certain–the secret is out.”
At the start of the Fall 2018 semester, SUU had 10,196 students between on-campus, online, certificate and licensure programs. At the start of Fall 2019, SUU reported a total of 11,224 students between all programs.
“Our continued growth can be attributed to a number of factors but what we always hear from students is that SUU feels like home,” Wright said.
The school also reported a 27 percent increase in international students. SUU currently has 727 international students from 61 different countries.
The 10.1 percent increase was second in the state of Utah for public universities, with Dixie State University reporting a 12.5 percent increase in their overall student population.
SUU remained the third smallest public university in Utah, beating out DSU and Snow College, a two-year junior college located in Ephraim. However, the university says that they the school “has experienced rapid growth increasing enrollment by more than 2,300 students since 2015 while maintaining the ‘student-first’ goal of the administration, faculty and staff.”
SUU credits part of the growth to the new three-year degree program that will be implemented in the Spring 2020 semester. When the program launches, SUU will be the only public university in the state offering a three-year degree program.
“Constant innovation is key in growing Southern Utah University,” said Scott L Wyatt, President of Southern Utah University. “The new three-year degree, as well as growth in our online options will allow us to grow responsibly over the next five years while maintaining the personalized attention students have come to expect from SUU.”
Story by Kurt Meacham
news@suunews.net
Photo courtesy of: suu.edu
