(Marcus "Doc" Cravens/MSU Photo)

BOZEMAN – Montana State University has become the first university in the history of the state to enroll more than 17,000 students, while also seeing record four-year graduation rates and a record high rate of students staying in school to complete their degrees.

MSU’s fall headcount is 17,144, an increase of 1% over last fall’s total, which was itself a record at 16,978. Montana State is the largest university in the four-state region that includes Wyoming and the Dakotas.

The university welcomed 3,611 new, first-time college students this fall — among them are 1,497 Montana residents. Montana students make up 49% of the entire student body, a count of 8,369 — the largest number of Montana residents enrolled at any college or university in the state. In all, MSU enrolled 15,053 undergraduate students, a record, and 2,091 graduate students.

MSU saw record enrollment across multiple demographic categories as well. The number of American Indian/Alaska Native students set a record at 856, an increase of 5% over last year. The university also set records for the number of students who are Hispanic (1,119), Asian (731), African American (321) and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (143).

“Enrollment is perhaps the most highly visible sign of how we are fulfilling Montana State’s land-grant mission to expand higher education access to as many of our citizens as possible,” said MSU President Waded Cruzado. “We celebrate enrollment records because college degrees change lives and because education is the key to individual prosperity and a strong American democracy.”

In addition to record headcount, MSU set a record in full-time equivalent, or FTE, enrollment at 15,586. FTE is calculated by dividing the total credits taken by all MSU students by 15, which is the number of credits considered to be “full-time.” A high FTE enrollment is a sign that students are taking more courses per semester.

“Taking more demanding courseloads means that students consistently make progress toward their degrees,” said Steve Swinford, MSU’s vice president for student success. He pointed out that graduating in less time also means students leave with less college debt.

That’s why MSU has, for more than a decade, been urging students to take at least 15 credits per semester, a push known as the Freshman 15. Any credits a student takes beyond their first 12 per semester do not add to their tuition bill, so 15 or 18 credits cost the same tuition as 12.

“We call it the Freshman 15, but it’s something we encourage all students to do,” Swinford said. “All MSU students can save money and graduate faster by taking part, and since 2011 we’ve gone from having less than half of MSU students taking at least 15 credits to two-thirds of them doing so today.”

A total of 87% of incoming freshmen and 67% of all MSU students are taking part in the Freshman 15, both records.

MSU’s student retention rate increased this fall to a modern record of 78.4%. That measures the number of students who return for their second fall at MSU and is considered highly predictive of student success and eventual graduation.

“There is a real sense of energy on campus this fall,” said Robert Mokwa, MSU’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “The students are excited to be here to begin their college journeys, and that excitement is due in no small part to the enthusiasm and dedication of our faculty and instructors who work every day to make MSU the best it can be for our students.”

Retention is also affected by the services and programs that students have available to them on campus, from academic advising and tutoring to health and wellness facilities. Swinford pointed to the newly opened Student Wellness Center on campus as one example. The center offers a single, convenient location for wellness needs ranging from medical and dental care to counseling to physical fitness.

“At MSU, we work to keep our students safe and healthy,” he said. “They’ve individually faced a lot of barriers, and we strive to provide a combination of supports to help them succeed.”

As the largest university in Montana, MSU continues to play a vital role in meeting the state’s workforce needs. Accordingly, MSU saw record enrollment in Gallatin College MSU, the university’s two-year programs which prepare students for immediate employment in in-demand fields. Gallatin College MSU enrolled 1,101 students, an increase of 22%.

"MSU graduates are the backbone of industries critical to Montana’s economy," Cruzado said. "We take seriously our responsibility to ensure students leave here equipped with the skills and knowledge to make meaningful contributions to their communities."

MSU awarded a record number of degrees last academic year at 3,657, and the university set new records for graduation rates. MSU’s four-year graduation rate rose to a record 40.8%, and its five-year rate was a record 54.9%. MSU’s six-year rate, a figure tracked by the federal government, held at 57%.

Other facts about MSU’s fall enrollment:
In all, 4,537 students are living in MSU’s residence halls, and 948 individuals are living in MSU Student Apartments. Approximately one quarter of MSU’s students live in on-campus housing.

MSU welcomed 401 dual-enrollment students, up from 245 last fall. Dual-enrollment allows Montana high school students to earn college credit and get a jump start on their degrees. Dual-enrollment credits at MSU are housed in Gallatin College MSU.
MSU enrolled 579 students who are receiving veteran benefits, a 4% increase.
The university enrolled 138 students who received the Montana University System Honor Scholarship, accounting for 65% of all the award’s recipients in the state.
The Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship also set an enrollment record at 2,306 students.

MSU’s largest college is Letters and Science with 3,500 students, followed by the Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering with 3,406; the Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship with 2,306; Agriculture with 1,978; Education, Health and Human Development with 1,641; the Mark and Robyn Jones College of Nursing with 1,234; and Arts and Architecture with 1,186.

The fall headcount is tallied after the 15th day of classes each semester.