Baker University has surpassed an enrollment of 4,000 students, the highest overall enrollment in the history of the university.
However, Baker isn’t the only area school experiencing the increase in numbers. Large public schools such as the University of Kansas and Kansas State University as well as smaller private schools like Ottawa University, Benedictine College and Avila University also reported record high enrollment numbers.
Judy Smrha, assistant dean for institutional effectiveness, said part of the spike might be due to the fact that a larger percentage of the population is attending college now than in recent years.
“There’s a wave out there, and we’re riding that wave,” Smrha said.
According to 20th day figures released Sept. 25, Baker is reporting a record-high enrollment of 4,112 students with increased numbers at all four of its schools which includes the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Professional and Graduate Studies, School of Nursing and School of Education.
Smrha said of the 4,112 overall students, 998 belong to CAS. Total enrollment is up from 3,959 in 2007, while the CAS enrollment is up from 942.
While CAS didn’t see as much of an increase as it did the year before, it was still a good sign, Louise Cummings-Simmons, vice president of enrollment management, said. She added that it’s typical for the university to be unable to match a big year.
“I was pleased with how our numbers did turn out,” Cummings-Simmons said. “There were a number of things that we were jumping up against.”
Smrha said numbers might be linked with work the university has put into better defining itself to prospective students. She said while every school tries to convey itself as the best overall choice, each must also prove that it is the best choice for a given individual.
“One of the ways you create retention issues is if you don’t have a clear message about what you are,” Smrha said.
Smrha said the 998 students enrollment figure for CAS isn’t a reflection of the number of students actually on campus because it includes 51 students in the Blue Valley and Shawnee Mission school districts receiving concurrent college credit, a new program this year.
However, Smrha said students receiving concurrent credits will still feel a sense of connection to the university even though they aren’t attending classes on the campus.
“These are students enrolled in (Advanced Placement) courses, so they’re the kind of students we’re looking for,” Smrha said.
University Admissions Assistant Lisa Reddy said when a student takes a class from Baker they are more likely to visit campus.
“You tend to go visit the schools you already know about,” Reddy said.
Cummings-Simmons said she knows that if a prospective student is able to visit the campus, it highly increases the chance they will choose Baker.
“I think getting new students here is about allowing those students and their parents to connect with Baker,” Cummings-Simmons said.
