UTSA achieves student success, enrollment milestones for fall semester

OCTOBER 13, 2020 — Enrollment at UTSA reached a record high in fall 2020, according to a report from the Office of Institutional Research, with 34,742 students enrolled this semester. The growth represents a 6.6% increase from last fall’s record enrollment of 32,594.

More than 29,000 of this year’s students are undergraduates, a 5.7% increase from last fall. Graduate enrollment nears 4,700, with a 14.1% increase in the master’s students overall and a 40% increase in new master’s students. Ninety new master’s students enrolled through Keep Running With Us, a new program that offers automatic admission into a selection of master’s programs to qualified UTSA undergraduates.

Noteworthy highlights from UTSA’s fall 2020 enrollment:

• The new College for Health, Community and Policy now is UTSA’s largest college, with an enrollment of more than 6,800 students—20% of the total student population.
• Female students account for 52% of enrollment, up 1% from last fall.
• 57% of students identify as Hispanic/Latino—an increase of 1.3% from last fall—and overall, 65% identify as being from an underrepresented racial/ethnic group.
• 95% of students are from Texas, with 51% from Bexar County.

“In spite of the interruptions in 2020 caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, our students persevered in their studies—with support from dedicated faculty and staff.”

“UTSA serves as a driver of social and economic mobility for our city and state, and we are particularly proud of our role in advancing opportunities for those historically underrepresented populations from here in San Antonio,” said UTSA President Taylor Eighmy. “At the same time, UTSA is playing a large role in statewide efforts to close the gaps in educational attainment.”

The university’s online degree programs also saw a jump in enrollment: 340 students now are enrolled in the suite of fully online degree programs, including cybersecurity, facilities management and multidisciplinary studies, a 66% increase over last fall. In these workforce-oriented, fully online degree programs, 85% of students enrolled are 23 or older and 66% are male.

Additionally, key student success metrics saw significant gains over the past year. For the first time the university’s first-year retention rate cracked into the nationally recognized benchmark by exceeding 80% (from 77% in 2019). Four-year graduation rate improved to 34% (from 31% in 2019) and the six-year graduation rate continued to exceed 50%.

Notably, a record 7,415 degrees were awarded in the 2019–2020 academic year, up from 7,047 in 2018–2019.

“In spite of the interruptions in 2020 caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, our students persevered in their studies—with support from dedicated faculty and staff—to advance their own bold futures and to help meet the workforce needs in San Antonio and Texas,” said Kimberly Andrews Espy, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “UTSA is making noteworthy progress overall in the retention and graduation of our students in support of our institutional goal to be a national model for student success.”

As part of the total enrollment of 34,742, the university welcomed 5,320 new undergraduates this fall. The fall enrollment includes an 11% increase in freshman Roadrunners and a 2% increase in new transfer students.

Of note:

• 56% of new first-year students ranked in the top quartile of their high school graduating classes.
• 43% of new first-year students are first-generation college students; 50% of new transfer students are first-generation.
• 60% of new first-year students identify as Hispanic; 69% identify as an underrepresented minority.
• Although 98% of new students are from Texas, the remaining 2% come from 37 other states and 36 countries.

UTSA’s institutional investment in additional aid to those who are most economically disadvantaged is making a difference. One in five of first-time, full-time Roadrunner freshmen are enrolled through UTSA’s Bold Promise program, which covers 100% of tuition and fees for incoming freshmen who ranked in the top 25% of their high school class, are Texas residents and have a family income up to $50,500. Of the more than 900 Bold Promise recipients, 72% are first-generation college students, and 87% are from racial/ethnic groups underrepresented in higher education.

“Even in their first year both Bold Promise and Keep Running With Us programs are showing significant impact on our undergraduate and graduate enrollments,” said Espy. “More importantly, they are creating pathways for high-achieving students to pursue their educational goals.”

— Rebecca Luther