Fall enrollment figures have been counted and Missouri Southern’s numbers have increased from last year.

Total enrollment has increased 3.7 percent and is up 5 percent in credit hours to 66,087.

“Those are nice increases especially since we had a similar increase last year,” said University President Julio León, “so two years in a row, that’s good.”

León said the number of first-time freshman students is up 5.4 percent to 945 while the number of transfer students is up 7 percent.

“Everything is (up) compared to last year,” he said.

León said the number of out-of-state students has increased to 8.8 percent to 838. The number of juniors has also increased to 12.3 percent.

The total enrollment is 5,675.

León said the reason the University takes the census figures at the end of the fourth week of classes is it is an official date determined by the federal government.

“In other words, give it four weeks to clear up all of these dropouts and sometimes we have students coming in late,” he said. “If you were to take enrollment the first day of classes, then that would not be correct.”

Dr. Delores Honey, assistant vice president for assessment and institutional research, said law dictates the University count the number of students and credit hours on the census day.

“The data is then recorded in different ways,” she said.

León said the official census figures are forwarded to the federal government.

“(It) provides all the financial aid,” he said. “They keep statistics.”

León also said the Coordinating Board for Higher Education receives the figures.

León said enrollment is important to Southern. He said it is indicative of progress.

“It’s an expression of confidence,” he said. “Anytime enrollment is going up, it just simply means that students and parents feel like this a good institution.”

León believes the enrollment figures will continue to increase.

“We hope it’s a continual trend,” he said. “(It’s) a positive one.”

Honey agrees.

“I think it will continue to grow,” she said. “We have a lot more wider variety of courses and programs.”