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ETBU celebrates increase in student enrollment

September 12, 2016

East Texas Baptist University achieved their highest enrollment in over a decade. The Fall 2016 enrollment stands at 1,456 students, 148 students ahead of Fall 2015, an 11.2 percent increase. This figure of 1,456 students represents the University's highest total enrollment since 2002 when there were 1,496 students enrolled. This semester is the third highest enrollment in institution history. 

The overall retention rate for student enrollment is also up to 72 percent, 4 percent higher than that of Fall 2015. ETBU began Fall 2016 with 1,177 full-time undergraduate students, a 7.3 percent increase from Fall 2015. The University has set a record high for graduate student enrollment with 122 students, a 62.7 percent increase from Fall 2015.  

"We have been diligently working to attract more students to experience the quality, Christ-centered education available at our institution," ETBU President J. Blair Blackburn said. "We are expanding programs. We have more students returning to ETBU than we have had in the past.  We have taken a multi-faceted approach with the expansion of undergraduate, graduate, online, and our adult education programs. These new programs pique the interest of new students and continue to hold the interest of our current students, but we cannot lose sight of God's blessing. This increased enrollment is the product of the prayers and hard work of God's people. Our dedicated faculty and staff through faith and their diligence aided in bringing these students to ETBU. This phenomenal increase is the result of following God's plan for the University."

ETBU has made many changes in the last year. ETBU expanded its degree programs with a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management and Master of Science in Kinesiology. To provide for students whose schedules and lifestyles require greater flexibility, ETBU reinstated its bachelor's degree completion program for adults, added an Online MBA, and expanded online course offerings.

The University increased athletic opportunities for students as well. They increased student athletes for their 14 NCAA Division III Sports from 400 participants to 500 and launched six new club sports for greater student involvement.

"When growth happens in any institution, it is easy to assume it is healthy growth, but some growth is not sustainable or may be a mirage. Our goal is to keep growing in a healthy way." ETBU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Thomas Sanders said. "This year at ETBU, our kingdom expansion has come from a balance of new initiatives and programs as well as a campus-wide focus on retention which is truly the only way to sustain the momentum and graduation."

ETBU continues to make improvements University-wide to sustain growth and provide quality educational opportunities for its students. According to the admissions team, they made adjustments to their recruitment strategy this cycle that helped in securing new students to their "Home on the Hill." A few of the most influential adjustments were utilizing social media and text messaging for contacting perspective students,  changing the structure of campus visits, and making the enrollment process a more personalized experience to reflect the personalized atmosphere of being a student at ETBU with its 14/1 student to teacher ratio.

"They are not just a number for us, they are an individuals, many of which are first generation college students," ETBU Vice President of Enrollment and Administrative Affairs Kevin Caffey said. "We made it the role of our admissions counselors to guide new students through each step of the admissions process from the application to acceptance and even help with scholarship opportunities.  We want to show them how they can prepare for God's calling on their life here in East Texas. Our goal is for each student to understand and desire to be in a community dedicated to Christian scholarship, fellowship, and formation and the type of support that a school like ours provides before they even set foot on campus."