TXST sets freshman enrollment record

Texas State set a new freshman enrollment record for the second time in three years. 

The university announced Friday that 6,600 freshmen were enrolled — a 13% increase from 2020. The previous record was set in 2019 with 5,855 freshmen enrolled at Texas State. 

The university also announced that Texas State's total enrollment at both its San Marcos and Round Rock campuses is 38,077 for the fall 2021 semester as of the sixth day of class. Enrollment numbers are final on the 20th day of the fall semester. 

“Texas State remains committed to delivering outstanding academic programs to students from a diversity of backgrounds and with a diversity of educational goals," President Denise Trauth said.  “Texas State has a long-standing tradition of supporting student success, and we are pleased to see a record number of students choosing the university. It is a real testament to the value and quality of the Texas State experience." 

Texas State said it saw the largest number of new students — undergraduate and graduate students — for the fall 2021 semester with over 11,000 for the first time. Additionally, the first-year retention rate for the 2020 freshman class increased to 77.9% compared to the 77.2% in the previous year, the university said. 

Texas State credited its investment in a record number of new scholarships for the surge in first-year student enrollment. The university said it saw a 26% increase in enrolled freshmen ranked in the top 10% of their high school graduating class.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas State has expanded its financial support for students, giving $40 million in student assistance this fall through federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) and awarding Bobcats-to-Bobcats scholarships to help hundreds of students stay enrolled.

"The momentum and growth in new students are not by accident," said Gene Bourgeois, provost and vice president for academic affairs. "It reflects a strategic investment in new academic programs and new scholarships in the past few years.”

Alongside its investment in scholarships, Texas State expanded its tuition-free Bobcat Promise program, which is designed to increase access for Texas students who have a family-adjusted gross income that doesn’t exceed $50,000 annually. The university’s upper limit was previously set at $35,000.

Texas State also announced that it set a record with 102 new doctoral students enrolled, which is a 19% increase from the previous year. Texas State has  1,304 new graduate students enrolled. 

The university also said it’s had an influx of 3,135 transfer students — an increase of 2.5% over the previous year. 

Texas State said the university’s student body makeup continues to closely mirror that of the Texas population. Data from the 2020 Texas census reports the state’s ethnic makeup as 39.3% Hispanic, 12.2% Black, and 5.4% Asian. Texas State’s 2021 student body is 39.7% Hispanic, 11.2% Black, and 2.6% Asian.