This year’s freshmen at the Welcome Weekend pep rally. File photo of The Dakota Student.

This fall semester, UND saw a slight decrease in enrollment from last year, but an increase in first-time freshman academic abilities, student diversity and, for a few schools, a growth in student body.

The total number of students for this semester was 14,906 compared to last fall’s 15,143. However, this fall has the third-highest enrollment in UND’s history.

Although last year saw a decrease of over 400 students from fall 2012, the number of first-time freshman this year remained relatively unchanged compared to last year, with this semester’s total at 1,906. The university retained many students from last year.

“Eighty percent of our freshman class last year have continued this year,” UND spokesman Peter Johnson said.

This is an increase of five percent from last year.

This semester also made two university records, with the new freshman class having an average ACT score of 23.8 and an average GPA of 3.4 — both of which are the highest in UND’s history.

The academic success of this year’s freshman class and last year’s class may have something to do with UND’s increased admission standards.

Fall 2012 was the last year UND required a minimum GPA of 2.25 combined with a minimum ACT score of 22. Starting last fall, students with a high school GPA of 2.5 and an ACT score of 21 were automatically accepted, and students with a high school GPA of 3.5 could be accepted with an ACT score as low as 18.

Last year also marked the last time UND had provisional admits, Johnson said.

“Students will benefit from being in educational settings with other high achieving students who are focused on reaching their educational goals,” President Robert Kelley said last year in his annual State of the University Address. “We are also designing programs to identify at-risk students.”

The stricter admission standards aren’t meant to push students away, but to keep students who may have difficulties with coursework from dropping out of school and then struggling to repay loans.

A message on UND’s website states that “admission standards for new students entering Fall 2016 or later are subject to change,” meaning the current standards will remain in effect for the next two years.

This semester’s enrollment report also showed an increase in ethnic diversity compared to last year. That is the university’s most ethnically diverse freshman class.

“I think it’s good for the freshman class to be exposed to a diverse population,” Johnson said, adding that exposure to other cultures will only help students out after they graduate and start their professional careers.

The College of Engineering & Mines, the College of Nursing and Professional Development and the School of Medicine and Health Sciences professional program all saw a growth in student body.

Johnson attributes part of this growth to the Health Care Workforce Initiative.

“That plan is to educate more medical doctors,” Johnson said.

Joshua Wynne, vice president for Health Affairs and dean of the School of Medicine, along with other medical professionals in the state, put the plan together with the hopes that it would increase the number of medical professionals in North Dakota.

Jamie Hutchinson is a staff writer for The Dakota Student. He can be reached at [email protected].