At a time when many university enrollments are flat or growth sluggish, the number of students at The University of Texas at Dallas surged 13.8 percent this fall from year-ago levels.

According to preliminary figures, total enrollment at UTD reached 12,657* for the fall semester of 2001 compared with 11,117 one year ago. It is the largest enrollment in school history and the first time the UTD student body exceeded 12,000.

“UTD is on the move,” said university President Dr. Franklyn Jenifer. “Our expanding academic reputation, coupled with the cost structure of a state university, represents an uncommon value that is appealing to high-caliber students and their parents throughout Texas and beyond.

“I am particularly proud of the fact that our rapid growth has not resulted in a diminution of quality,” Jenifer said. “The SAT scores of our incoming freshman continue to be among the highest in the state.”

The two largest of UTD’s seven schools continued their rapid growth over the past year. The School of Management enrolled 4,261 students for the fall semester, 19.4 percent more than in the fall of 2000. The 3,569 students enrolled in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science represent a 20.3 percent increase over last fall.

The number of undergraduate students at the university grew 16 percent to 7,475, while graduate students increased 10.7 percent to 5,182.

To help accommodate its rapid enrollment growth, UTD has several major construction projects under way on its Richardson campus, including a 152,000-square-foot addition to the School of Engineering and Computer Science building and a 16,000-square-foot addition to the Student Union. In addition, the school recently completed construction of new on-campus apartments for 500 students and new athletic fields for men’s baseball and women’s softball teams.

Also on the drawing boards are three other major campus construction projects – a 180,000-square-foot building for the School of Management, a 23,000-square-foot satellite facility of the Callier Center for Communication Disorders and an extensive renovation of existing facilities utilized by the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

UTD’s fall 2001 preliminary enrollment numbers show growth in both minority students and those from other countries. Minority student enrollment rose 19.9 percent over the past year, to 33.4 percent of the student body. The largest single group of minority students is Asian-American (19.6 percent of total enrollment), followed by African-American and Hispanic-American (both 6.7 percent of total enrollment). The number of international students jumped 19 percent to 1,764 (13.9 percent of total enrollment).

The gender breakdown of the student body remains virtually unchanged from one year ago – 53.5 percent (6,759 students) are males and 46.6 percent (5,898) are females.

* Preliminary enrollment figures include 218 executive education students who are not included in the State of Texas official student count for funding purposes.

About UTD

The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor, enrolls more than 7,000 undergraduate and 5,000 graduate students. The school’s freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UTD, please visit the university’s web site at www.utdallas.edu.