Sun Devils hit 76,000 at beginning of fall semester

While college enrollments may be declining nationwide, Arizona State University continues to draw record numbers of academically qualified students who are eager to learn and make their mark on the world. Download Full Image

As the fall 2013 semester begins Aug. 22, the university anticipates an enrollment of slightly more than 76,000 undergraduate and graduate students – a new record for number of students enrolled and a nearly 5 percent increase from last year.

“The Sun Devil family sees strength in its numbers, knowing we have the critical mass to effect meaningful change,” said ASU President Michael M. Crow. “Students are choosing us because we offer them an educational experience that is unparalleled. We embrace spirited, creative, forward-thinking young men and women, and provide first-rate learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom that enable them to see their dreams through to reality.”

Preliminary first-day enrollment shows records were set across nearly all areas:

• On-campus enrollment grew 1.3 percent to 65,881 on ASU’s four campuses and ASU Colleges at Lake Havasu City. That total includes 54,333 undergraduate students and 11,548 graduate students.

• Freshmen enrollment grew to 10,149 students, 900 students higher than the fall 2012 entering class. The new Sun Devil class is academically strong, with an average high school GPA of 3.4 and average SAT score of 1116. Forty-nine percent are New American University Scholars at the Dean, Provost and President Scholarship levels, the most prestigious scholarships for first-time freshmen.

• Transfer enrollment has grown to more than 5,700 students – up 200 from fall 2012. The transfer class is academically strong, with an average 3.15 transfer GPA. More than 83 percent of transfer students enrolling from the state of Arizona come from ASU’s innovative partnerships with Arizona’s community colleges.

• U.S. non-resident, campus-based enrollment grew 4.9 percent to 14,472 students. Of that total, 11,858 are undergraduate students and 2,614 are graduate students.

• International campus-based enrollment increased 28.5 percent to 6,474 students. 3,139 are undergraduate students and 3,335 are graduate students.

• Online enrollment grew 35.6 percent to 9,612 students. Of that total, 6,739 are undergraduate students and 2,873 are graduate students.

In fact, the only number to decrease slightly from that reported last year was total resident undergraduate enrollment and that’s good news – the result of a greater number of students graduating.

What’s new at ASU

Sun Devils have a lot to look forward to. The university has been making many enhancements to both the campuses and its practices.

After a busy summer of construction, the highly-ranked W. P. Carey School of Business opens doors to McCord Hall this fall. The state-of-the-art, 129,000-square-foot building will be officially dedicated in late October. It joins the school’s two other existing structures to help host a student population of more than 10,000 and helps make the school more competitive with other top business schools across the country to keep drawing the best and brightest students.

Inside, you’ll find the W. P. Carey Leaders Academy Lounge for undergrads, technologically-advanced classrooms, team rooms, study areas, the school’s graduate career center, two research centers and a health-conscious eatery called Freshii Café. The building is home to the W. P. Carey School’s graduate and executive education programs, including the Top 30 nationally ranked MBA programs and the Master of Real Estate Development program.

McCord Hall is named after philanthropist Sharon Dupont McCord and her late husband Bob. The building is environmentally friendly, with less water and energy use than similar buildings and a solar array on the roof that returns power to the campus grid.

This semester, more than 800 students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences have moved into the newly renovated 215,000-square-foot Manzanita Hall. As part of ASU’s residential college housing model, the Manzanita experience includes programs and amenities that complement and support students in their chosen field of study. It also houses multipurpose spaces on the first and lower levels, and also saw the addition of a basketball court to its exterior, which already features a sand volleyball court.

All incoming freshmen are assigned to one of 13 residential colleges based on the discipline they have chosen to study. ASU's residential college model integrates the experience between academic and residential life to help students become more engaged in their specific academic discipline and successfully acclimate to college life. 

New and expanded fitness centers on all campuses will help students maintain healthy lifestyles and make connections with other Sun Devils.

Just opened this month is the new Sun Devil Fitness Complex at the Downtown Phoenix campus. Adjacent to and connected with the Lincoln Family Downtown YMCA, these two facilities provide more than 143,000 square feet of fitness, wellness and aquatic facilities. Collectively, the partnership features state-of-the art cardio and strength equipment, three multi-purpose studios for group fitness and mind/body classes, a two-court gymnasium, a rooftop outdoor leisure pool and a multi-purpose area for student clubs.

The expanded Sun Devil Fitness Complex in Tempe now boasts an additional weight and fitness area, two multi-purpose studios for group fitness classes and student sport/activity clubs, a three-court gymnasium for sports and campus events, and a wellness suite.

New Sun Devil Fitness Complexes, completed last semester, are open at both the Polytechnic and West campuses, as well.

Walk Only Zones have been created to ease access for pedestrians traveling across the Tempe campus. Wheeled vehicles are now restricted to specific areas. Other enhancements include bicycle valet areas; new bicycle rack types and locations; locked skateboard racks; and overnight golf cart charging and parking areas. 

ASU is now a tobacco free university. The effort prohibits smoking and tobacco related products to help make the campus experience healthier for community members and campus visitors. The university will pursue a "community enforcement" approach when it comes to the new policy, whereby university community members will help to educate others. This strategy has proven to be effective at other universities that have gone tobacco-free.

The university is also focused on becoming a zero waste institution, including managing its waste stream responsibly and sustainably. This year, Sun Devils will have several opportunities to contribute to a Zero Waste ASU.

For example, most Sun Devil athletic events will feature blue recycling and green composting bins. Zero waste ambassadors present at each game will help to engage and educate fans about the initiative. 

The ASU community will also participate in a comprehensive blue bin recycling program across all campuses. The bins will be placed in classrooms, across outdoor malls and throughout residential halls and dining locations. Depositing paper, plastic, glass and metal in these bins will help ASU to meet its zero waste goals.

These enhancements are part of the university’s ongoing plan to make ASU the premier learning-living destination for college students from Arizona, other states and nations.