UHV sees increase in spring enrollment, student retention
The University of Houston-Victoria’s preliminary spring enrollment has increased nearly 3 percent from this time last year.
The university has 4,107 students enrolled as of Wednesday, the 12th class day, a 2.9 percent increase from spring enrollment a year ago. That growth was reflected in several areas throughout the university.
“It is exciting to see UHV making progress in its goals toward growth and student retention,” UHV President Vic Morgan said. “The university continues to focus on offering an affordable, accessible education, and it is rewarding to know students are taking advantage of UHV’s programs to earn a degree.”
All three of UHV’s academic schools saw an increase in the number of undergraduate student enrollment when compared to the previous spring. The School of Education, Health Professions & Human Development grew by 13.1 percent, while the School of Arts & Sciences saw an 8.1 percent increase and the School of Business Administration had a 1.3 percent increase. In addition, the education school also saw a 2.9 percent increase in preliminary graduate student enrollment.
In addition to more students, the university has seen an increase in retention from the previous year’s preliminary numbers. This year, UHV has 3,601 returning students, 4.5 percent more than a year ago. There was a 25 percent increase in the number of freshmen who returned to UHV after an earlier semester compared with the previous spring. There also was a 15.2 percent increase in returning juniors and a 14.1 percent increase in returning sophomores.
The university also saw growth in the number of new graduate students enrolled. A group of 175 students, 8.7 percent more than the previous year, joined UHV this spring to pursue graduate degrees.
With the increases in preliminary spring enrollment and student retention, UHV also has seen a rise in the number of credit hours taken by students. As of the 12th class day, UHV students are taking 38,055 credit hours, a 3.2 percent increase from preliminary numbers a year ago.
“We are happy to see increased enrollment in the spring semester, especially when so many people are dealing with the effects of Hurricane Harvey,” said Denee Thomas, UHV assistant vice president for enrollment management. “Retaining our current students is a win for UHV, hopefully leading to more graduates and stretching recruitment dollars. Additionally, more undergraduates are carrying larger semester credit hour loads, which should lead to shorter graduation times and a savings of time and money for students.”
Final spring enrollment figures and a breakdown of student demographics will be available later in the spring semester after certification from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
