SRU fall 2021 enrollment includes record 1,503 graduate students

For the first time in school history, Slippery Rock University’s graduate student enrollment exceeded 1,500, thanks to the growth of programs that include the Doctor in Occupational Therapy. Total SRU enrollment is 8,424 students.

Sept. 14, 2021

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — After more than year of reduced on-campus capacity because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Slippery Rock University's enrollment remains strong now that SRU is fully back to in-person classes and activities. For the fall 2021 semester, there are 8,424 students enrolled at the University, according to the official count taken Sept. 13, the 15th day of classes, which is used for national and state reporting purposes.

Included in the enrollment total are a school-record 1,503 graduate students, improving on last year's record total of 1,461. Although total enrollment is down 5.1% and undergraduate enrollment (6,921) is down 6.6% from last year, a positive sign is an increase of readmitted students. There are 168 students this fall who have returned to the University after previously pausing their education. That total is more than any fall semester in the last five years.

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Retention of first-year students from last year is also strong, as 81.2% of the 2020 fall freshman cohort are back in 2021, a decrease of just 1% compared to the previous year.

"We continue to be encouraged by our record number of graduate students and the persistence of all our students," said Amanda Yale, chief enrollment management officer. "The pandemic brings about many challenges for all colleges and universities as well as students and their families. Despite these challenges, people are recognizing the value of an SRU education and the caring, learning community that we provide to help students succeed."

SRU has more than 40 graduate programs, including three new program offerings last year: a Master of Social Work, a Master of Science in Athletic Training and a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Administration. The Master of Education in Special Education program, the Doctor of Physical Therapy program and the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program, which launched in 2018, are the top three graduate programs by enrollment, combining for more than 400 students.

The top five undergraduate majors by enrollment are exercise science (635), safety management (425), early childhood/special education (409), and psychology (327).

Overall, 88% of students are from Pennsylvania, 59% are female and 15.4% identify themselves as an ethnicity other than white/non-Hispanic, all numbers that are nearly the same as last year.

MEDIA CONTACT: Justin Zackal | 724.738.4854  | justin.zackal@sru.edu