Texas Tech University on Tuesday announced record-breaking enrollment numbers, meeting a goal set a decade ago.
The university reported 40,332 students enrolled this fall.
Former Chancellor Kent Hance, who now serves as chancellor emeritus, set a goal of having 40,000 students enrolled at the university in the "Making it Possible, 2010-2020 Strategic Plan." Texas Tech had 30,049 students enrolled at the time.
The goal in that plan states: "Grow to 40,000 students by 2020, with a heavy emphasis on increasing the number of transfer and graduate students and ensuring a diverse population of students; concentrating not only on the size of the freshman class but also on retention and graduation rates at or exceeding the average of the university’s peers."
The number of graduate students increased by 34% since that goal was announced, according to a news release from the university. Over 7,000 students are pursuing an advanced degree this semester.
Texas Tech's first-year retention rate is 87% and the six-year graduation rate is 63%, the news release states.
Other exceeding marks include an eight-fold increase in Hispanic students and a six-fold increase in Black students since the strategic plan was published in 2010.
“The most impressive aspect of our growth is that it has been achieved alongside significant improvements in student success as reflected in record retention and graduation rates and widespread recognition of Texas Tech as a national research institution,” said Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec. “This significant benchmark in enrollment reflects the work of our faculty and staff, increased scholarship support, enhanced recruitment and marketing strategies, and the support and success of our alumni who contribute to the Texas Tech brand.”
Have a news tip? Email Sarah Self-Walbrick at saselfwa@ttu.edu. Follow Sarah's reporting on Twitter @SarahFromTTUPM.
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