By John Lyon
Arkansas News Bureau
LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas’ flagship campus in Fayetteville once again leads the state’s four-year colleges in fall enrollment, while the University of Central Arkansas has dropped from second to fourth, according to preliminary figures released today by the state Department of Higher Education.
The department reported the University of Arkansas’ Fayetteville enrollment as of Sept. 30 at 19,849, followed by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with 13,167. Arkansas State University in Jonesboro was third with 12,185, followed by UCA with 11,781 and Arkansas Tech in Russellville with 8,814.
Rounding out the list were the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith with 7,329; the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff with 3,802; Henderson State University in Arkadelphia with 3,577; the University of Arkansas at Monticello with 3,483; Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia with 3,226; and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock with 2,775.
The total number of students enrolled in two- or four-year schools statewide was 165,201, a record for the state and a 6.3 percent increase from last year’s record high of 155,352.
“Especially in these difficult economic times, we believe that students see the value of education more than ever, and along with increases in enrollment, we hope to see corresponding increases in retention and graduation rates,” state Higher Education Director Jim Purcell said in a news release.
The four-year school showing the largest growth from a year ago was Arkansas Tech with a 17.6 percent increase. The largest decrease was UCA’s, which dropped 9.2 percent.
UCA had ranked second in enrollment behind UA for the previous three consecutive years.
Former UCA President Lu Hardin resigned last year under a cloud related to a $300,000 bonus that Hardin received and steps he took to secure the bonus and keep it from becoming public.
Questions also were raised about other activities during Hardin’s tenure, including the conversion of public funds to private funds to pay a football coach’s salary, UCA’s borrowing of money for two years without required state approval and the awarding of “discretionary” scholarships with no eligibility requirements.
Hardin was hired in July as president of Palm Beach Atlantic University, a Christian university in West Palm Beach, Fla. Allen Meadors, who took over as UCA president July 1, has said the former administration drove up enrollment by awarding an excessive number of scholarships and has promised to curb the practice.
The Department of Higher Education’s enrollment totals include high school students enrolled either in concurrent-enrollment programs or regular college classes. UALR had the most high school students with 1,007.
ATU had the biggest increase in high school students enrolled, going from 306 a year ago to 854 this year. UCA had the biggest decrease in high school students, going from 1,086 a year ago to 680 this year.
Among two-year institutions, Pulaski Technical College in North Little Rock had the highest enrollment with 10,258 students. Northwest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville was second with 8,034 and Arkansas State University at Beebe was third with 4,487.
