James Madison University
Office of Institutional Research

December, 1997

FALL 1997 ON-CAMPUS ENROLLMENT SUMMARY

On-campus headcount enrollment increased to 13,714 in Fall 1997, up 751 students (5.8%) from 12,963 in Fall 1996. This was the largest on-campus enrollment ever. Enrollment in Fall 1997 included 12,607 full-time and 1,107 part-time students, of which 12,551 were undergraduates, 743 were graduate students, and 420 were special students enrolled in regular credit courses. There was an increase of 870 full-time and a decrease of 119 part-time students from Fall 1996. Full-time undergraduate enrollment increased by 908 (7.8%). There were 3,062 entering class students, reduced from 3,258 in Fall 1996. Undergraduate transfers increased from 536 in Fall 1996 to 547 in Fall 1997. The number of enrolled students returning increased, with 8,567 full-time undergraduates returning in Fall 1997, up from 7,344 returning in Fall 1996 and 6,922 in Fall 1995.

Applications for admission as entering class students increased 5.1% to 14,005 in Fall 1997 from 13,322 in Fall 1996. Overall, the University accepted 7,688 (54.9%) of its applicants for the entering class, down from 8,434 (63.3%) in Fall 1996. This was the lowest acceptance rate since Fall 1995. The yield rate (the percentage of those offered admission who accepted the offer and enrolled) increased slightly from 38.6% in Fall 1996 to 39.8% in Fall 1997. The percentage of Virginia applicants accepted was reduced slightly from 62.3% in Fall 1996 to 61.7% in Fall 1997. The yield rate for Virginia applicants increased from 44.4% in Fall 1996 to 45.3% in Fall 1997. The percentage of out-of-state applicants accepted was reduced from 64.6% in Fall 1996 to 46.9% in Fall 1996, while the out-of-state yield remained relatively unchanged from 31.8% in Fall 1996 to 31.4% in Fall 1997. The percentage of non-white entering class students in Fall 1997 was 13.9%, up from 11.3% in 1996. The number of African-American entering class students in Fall 1997 was 177, up 44 students from Fall 1996. The Fall 1997 African-American entering class enrollment was the highest since 1992. In-state African-American entering class students increased from 104 to 159. American-Indians were the only minority ethnic group that did not increase. The greatest change by ethnic group was an 8.8% drop in white entering class students from 2,890 in Fall 1996 to 2,630 in Fall 1997.

Mean SAT scores, using the current re-centered values, for entering class students in Fall 1997 were 585 verbal, 589 math, and 1,174 composite. The 1997 composite is slightly higher than the composite of 1,172 for Fall 1996. The 1997 national average SAT composite score was 1,016, while the average for Virginia was 1,003.

The percentage of males in the undergraduate student body (44.5%) decreased from Fall 1996 (45.1%). The percentage of entering class students from out-of-state decreased from 37.8% in Fall 1996 to 31.1% in Fall 1997. In-state entering class students increased by 85 while out-of-state entering class students decreased by 281. Out-of-state students accounted for 30.7% of JMU's total on-campus enrollment in Fall 1997, compared with 30.1% in Fall 1996.

Graduate enrollment decreased from 759 in Fall 1996 to 743 in Fall 1997. Full-time graduate enrollment decreased from 416 in Fall 1996 to 396 in Fall 1997. Graduate students account for 5.4% of on-campus enrollment, down from 5.9% in Fall 1997.

Ten-year summary tables appear on the reverse side of this page. More detailed enrollment tables will be published in the 1997-98 James Madison University Statistical Summary. Copies of the Statistical Summary are placed on reserve in Carrier Library. Also, the Statistical Summary will be available through the Internet on the Campus Wide Information System.