UAH – Recurring records

Michael Mercier | UAH

The University of Alabama in Huntsville reported record student enrollment for the Fall 2018 academic term. This achievement marks the fourth straight year of record enrollment for the campus.

Record total enrollment for fourth straight year

Total enrollment after the 10^th day of class was 9,736 students, an increase of 7 percent when compared to Fall 2017 enrollment of 9,101. Projections call for more than 10,000 students in 2019.

Largest freshman class in UAH History

The freshman class contains 1,428 students, largest in UAH’s history, up 6.2 percent when compared to the same numbers last year.

Highest ACT test average in UAH history

This incoming class also scored a record average of 28.5 on their ACT, up from 27.9 a year ago.

Other distinguishing characteristics of this year’s freshman class:

• The overall GPA for this incoming class is 3.88.
• 45 percent scored 30 or higher on the ACT.
• 45 percent had a high school grade point average of 4.0 or higher.
• Retention remains at historically high levels at 83.1 percent for 2018.

UAH Total Enrollment

During the past four years, total enrollment has increased 32.5 percent, from 7,348 in the Fall of 2014 to 9,736 this year, while the freshman class has doubled, from 714 in 2014 to 1,428 in 2018. Enrollment growth has been consistent with more than 7 percent growth annually since the fall of 2014.

The university projects five consecutive years of enrollment growth in the fall of 2019. Using a 7 percent rate of growth, projections call for a total enrollment of 10,418 students for the fall of 2019.

"It’s becoming increasingly important that students view their choice for college as an investment. Prospective students are coming to realize that a diploma from UAH provides them with great value," said UAH President Robert Altenkirch. "The quality of our faculty and the opportunity to conduct hands-on research and gain practical experience through internships enhances their knowledge and helps develop their skills. UAH students are very well prepared upon graduation and are highly qualified to enter the workforce."

UAH is also recognized for its academic quality and research opportunities for its students.

• The campus is considered very competitive by the Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges, one of only two public universities in Alabama with that distinction.
• UAH is also classified as a higher research institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
• The university is consistently listed among national Tier 1 universities by U.S. News & World Report.