ANN ARBOR (WWJ) -- It’s a first for the University of Michigan.
Enrollment for the fall semester was more than 50,000 students, marking the school’s largest student body in history.
Officials say the latest first-year class -- made up of 16,071 students -- is also one of the most racially and ethnically diverse classes in years, with 37% of first-year students identifying as persons of color.
Despite the ongoing global pandemic, nearly 80,000 prospective first-year students applied to enroll at U-M this fall -- almost 15,000 more than the previous year.
In fact, Adele Brumfield, vice provost for enrollment management, credited much of the success to the university’s ability to meet the needs of students during the pandemic.
"Students responded to the virtual recruitment experiences, which showcased the benefits of a U-M education and helped students imagine themselves as part of our community," Brumfield said. "From what I have learned, collaboration increased and partnerships were strengthened over the past year as the campus united to enroll the fall class of 2021."
U of M also experienced a higher-than-expected “admissions yield,” which reflects the number of students who choose to enroll at the school after being admitted.
Additionally, the university saw an 8% increase in transfer students this fall, with 1,407 enrolling. Transfer-student enrollment by students of color is also up 55% over the past five years.
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