Tarleton Boasts Second Summer Enrollment Record; Fall Looks Promising

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STEPHENVILLE — For the first time in its 122 years, Tarleton State University’s summer enrollment will exceed 7,000, breaking last year’s record and setting an all-time high for the fourth consecutive semester.

As of May 20, more than 7,300 students will take summer courses at Tarleton, up more than 600 from a year ago.

“These are exciting times at Tarleton as more and more students see our university as a first-choice destination,” said President James Hurley. “From the moment they arrive, our students know they are part of the Tarleton family, with faculty and staff ready to help them succeed.”

If projections hold, Tarleton’s summer 2021 enrollment could top 7,600 — nearly 60 percent more than what it was just eight years ago — with a 16 percent jump in master’s and doctoral programs and a 16 percent increase in students reporting an ethnicity other than white over summer 2020.

The record summer enrollment is expected to push fall numbers higher, too, as Tarleton prepares for the 2021-2022 academic year and a traditional college experience.

“It’s important to know that Tarleton will return to normal operations — like those prior to the pandemic,” Dr. Hurley said. “Enrollment is open, and scholarships are available. We’re looking forward to another record fall enrollment in August. Students need to register as soon as possible to make sure they get the classes they want.”

Tarleton’s spring enrollment was up 6.46 percent over spring 2020. Fall 2020 enrollment increased 6.42 percent from the previous year, and summer 2020 saw a 10.19 percent growth over 2019.

Several reasons underscore Tarleton’s record-breaking enrollment:

• Dozens of programs to ensure student success, including personalized advising and outreach; support for first-generation and transfer students; advanced hands-on learning opportunities; supplemental instruction, mentoring and tutoring; and programs focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) curriculum

• Rigorous management of the pandemic to safely provide a full college experience, complete with in-person learning, graduation ceremonies and a full-scale spring Homecoming, with another planned for the fall

• Agreements with nearly 70 area school districts to provide annual scholarships and guarantee admission to seniors who graduate in the top 25 percent of their class

• Partnerships with nine two-year colleges and college districts to provide annual scholarships and boost educational opportunities for transfer students

• Academic programs that meet professional workforce needs, like the school’s first PhD — a Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice — a new concentration to the Doctorate in Educational Leadership (ed technology), the university’s first master’s degree in engineering (computer engineering), and a bachelor’s in communication sciences and disorders

• A move last July to NCAA Division I as a member of the Western Athletic Conference

• Infrastructure development that keeps pace with student needs, including a state-of-the-art Aquatics Center, complete renovation of the field house on the south end of Memorial Stadium, a new home for the university’s storied rodeo program, increased campus housing, and plans for a research and economic development center and second and third buildings on the Fort Worth campus

• Continued support and confidence of alumni, donors and friends

For more information on how to become a Tarleton Texan, visit www.tarleton.edu/becomeatexan/index.html.

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