USA Enrollment Continues To Rise

The University of South Alabama (USA) welcomed its largest freshman class ever this fall and recorded its third straight year of enrollment gains. The 14,285 students enrolled rose from 14,003 the year before. USA said the gains were fueled by a rise in undergraduate enrollment, including 2,137 new first-year students. Retention also continues to be a bright spot, with record numbers of students returning for their third and fourth years. Freshmen enrollment has surged more than 30% in the past three years, which USA says is partly due to extensive recruitment efforts. Additionally, this year’s class is one of the strongest academically, with a record-tying average high school grade point average of 3.75. Nearly 3,000 students live on campus, the most in the university’s history.