USF Sarasota-Manatee reports record enrollment

In keeping with a trend for almost the past decade, the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus hit another enrollment record this year.

Total student enrollment at USFSM now stands at 2,071, a 1.6 percent increase over last year, officials reported Thursday. Undergraduate enrollment rose 2.2 percent and the number of graduate students increased by 4 percent compared to last year.

“I expect that we will see more growth in both our new freshmen and transfer student numbers next year as well,” director of admissions Andrew Telatovich said in a statement.

Telatovich cited several factors for the gains, from the ongoing popularity of USFSM’s biology program to its new Bridge to Engineering program, which debuted this semester in partnership with the College of Engineering at USF in Tampa, to other well-received academic degree programs.

In a system address Wednesday, USF President Judy Genshaft deemed this year’s freshman class as the most academically accomplished ever enrolled at USF, with an average SAT score of 1226, an average ACT score of 28 and an average GPA of 4.08.

“The USF System has never been stronger,” Genshaft said in her address. “Our achievements have not occurred by accident. We have worked deliberately to accomplish our goals over many years.”

In the Sarasota-Manatee area, USFSM is not the only college seeing growth. More than over 13,000 students are spread out between New College of Florida, Ringling College of Art and Design, State College of Florida and USFSM, according to information from the Consortium of Colleges on the Creative Coast.

This story was originally published September 8, 2016 at 6:06 PM with the headline "USF Sarasota-Manatee reports record enrollment."