The largest incoming class at the University of Central Arkansas is formally announced

Conway, Arkansas – Several universities in the state, including the University of Central Arkansas, had an increase in enrolment at the beginning of the academic year, making it somewhat busier than in previous years.

UCA may now formally declare that its enrollment has increased by 3.4% to 10,123 students enrolled overall, according to official census day data.

UCA President Houston Davis remarked, “It’s great to be a few weeks into the semester and know that we can officially give a count to our freshman class, that’s 2183. We are really excited.”

“The UCA campus has a lot of new faces and energy,” Davis remarked.

According to Davis, it is a real credit to the exceptional staff, instructors, and students at this university.

“I like to say that when a student comes to UCA, they’re looking at the students that they see having an experience here, as well as the university and the people that work here,” Davis stated.

According to Davis, UCA is headed in the right direction.

As students return to the college town for the autumn semester, Conway as a whole is experiencing an uptick in traffic and the presence of students coming and going in the city.

The expansion is also noticeable in the living halls and classrooms.

This year, the institution added 96 more bedrooms thanks to a partnership with The Edge, an adjacent residential building.

President Davis responded that the institution is actively evaluating how it will address the housing issue if enrollment continues to climb.

According to Davis, “you have to make that decision for multiple decades—you don’t make that decision for one or two years.”

In order to decide on the best course of action, the institution will review enrollment figures over the following five years, according to Davis. But now that they’ve “put the math on the paper,” they have some choices.

“We definitely see the need for a partnership, whether it be with private organizations to provide additional housing or maybe building new housing at UCA,” Davis stated.

A portion of the total can be ascribed to the inaugural class of the debt-free educational pathway known as the UCA Commitment program.

According to Davis, 765 of the 2183 incoming students have committed to UCA. “It’s really exciting and it’s moving the needle.”

Not only has UCA seen record-breaking enrolment, but the University of Arkansas reports a 4.6% increase to 33,610 total students.

Harding University had a 2% rise in enrollment, totaling 4,696 students, while Arkansas State University witnessed a 12% increase of 16,687 students.