RICHLAND, Wash. – According to a press release from WSU Tri-Cities, compared to last fall, the overall enrollment at Washington State University Tri-Cities increased by 0.8%.
Along with this rise in enrollment, WSU Tri-Cities reported a 25.7% increase in new first-year students, 6.6% increase in new transfer students, a 7.1% increase in new doctoral and masters students and a 2% increase in undergraduate enrollment.
WSU Tri-Cities has the largest increase in first-year and transfer students compared to the other six Washington State University campuses.
“We are very happy to welcome all of the new, incoming first-year and transfer students this year” said campus director of admissions, Jamie Owens. “The admissions team worked very hard to meet and recruit them.”
Owens was hired in 2022 to help the university make connections with local high school and transfer students.
“Through increased use of technology, we were better able to keep in contact with interested students and help them through the admission process,” shared Owens. “We also held more on-campus events this past year that gave students and their families an opportunity to visit our campus and receive one-on-one help applying for both admission and financial aid in partnership with the financial aid office. Helping students receive a WSU education right here in our community is our number one goal.”
WSU Tri-Cities offers great educational opportunities for local students based on the University’s affordability, small school setting, smaller student-to-instructor ratio and the ability to leverage WSU partnerships locally, nationally and internationally.
Chancellor of WSU Tri-Cities, Sandra Haynes, shared, “We are pleased to be able to serve our community by offering students career connected pathways that help them affordably reach their future goals at WSU Tri-Cities. I am confident in our momentum moving forward especially as we intentionally develop programs to meet students’ needs”.
Although the university recorded a significant increase in first-year and transfer student enrollment, according to the press release from WSU Tri-Cities, the campus has seen a dip in the retention of students.
“As we continue our efforts to reach new students, it is important to us that we also focus on retention,” said Kate McAteer, vice chancellor for academic and student affairs. “Our Learner Success Lab, which provides inclusive student support through our engaged faculty and staff, will bolster our retention goals.
WSU Tri-Cities continues to reflect the community it serves and has the most diverse campus within the WSU system. According to a press release from WSU Tri-Cities, 49.7% of students are students of color and 50.7% are first generation. This new class of first-year students shows that 61.8% of the newly enrolled are students of color and 64.9% are first generation.
For more information about enrollment throughout the WSU system, visit the WSU Insider News Page for the University’s press release
