The university experienced a 4 percent increase in summer session enrollment from the previous year. (Photo by August Jennewein)
As interest grows in reducing the time required to complete a degree, a rising number of University of Missouri–St. Louis students are spending their summer in the classroom.
UMSL’s summer session, which includes hundreds of courses in four-, eight- or 12-week options, is a key component in degree acceleration. This year, nearly 5,000 students enrolled – a 4 percent increase from summer 2016.
“Students are increasingly interested in fast-tracking their degrees – moving more quickly from the classroom to the job market,” said Kristin Sobolik, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. “Our increase this summer is a result of responding to these forward-thinking students. We increased our programmatic offerings, opened enrollment earlier and expanded our marketing. We’re more than delighted with the result.”
The six schools and colleges with increased headcounts include the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business Administration, College of Education, School of Social Work, Joint Undergraduate Engineering Program and the Graduate School. The number of credit hours is also up 4 percent with 24,282 hours amassed during the summer session.
In addition to current Tritons looking to get ahead, 441 visiting students from as far as the University of Alabama and Auburn University also enrolled at UMSL.
“We are proud to provide a number of quality courses across a variety of disciplines to our students, lifelong learners and those visiting St. Louis during the summer months – all at an affordable cost,” Sobolik said. “We hope this momentum carries us forward in the upcoming academic year.”
Summer enrollment by the numbers
- Total enrollment – 4,919 compared to 4,706
- Total on-campus credit hours – 24,842 compared to 23,816
- Visiting student headcount – 441 compared to 430
- Headcount of both male and female students
- Men – 1,916 compared to 1,831
- Women – 3,003 compared to 2,875
Top home institutions for visiting students
- Saint Louis University (main campus)
- University of Missouri–Columbia
- University of Missouri–Kansas City
- Washington University in St. Louis
- Missouri University of Science and Technology
