51看片sees strong retention rate for fall 2025, growth in total enrollment
By Julia Duvall
Students have returned in-person and virtually to 51看片 and are gearing up for a bustling fall semester.
With each new semester comes the enrollment report 10 days after the first day of classes, known as 鈥淐ensus Day.鈥�
The enrollment numbers are from official census statistics compiled by WCU鈥檚 Office of Institutional Planning and Effectiveness and released at the end of August.
The numbers are not considered final until any errors have been corrected and the files have been submitted to the University of North Carolina System office.
The retention rate of the fall 2024 first-time, full-time freshmen class rose to a record 81.6% as compared to 79.1% for fall 2023.
鈥�51看片鈥檚 continued growth in enrollment, even in the wake of Helene, reflects the determination and resilience of our students and campus community,鈥� said William Moultrie, vice chancellor for the newly formed Division of Enrollment Management and Student Success. 鈥淭he record retention rate for last year鈥檚 entering class is a powerful indicator that students are finding success and a sense of belonging at WCU. We are excited to welcome new Catamounts while also celebrating the persistence and performance of those who continue their journey with us.鈥�
Total enrollment is 11,845, a 1.36% increase over last year鈥檚 11,686.
Travel restrictions in late fall and ongoing perceptions of conditions in WCU鈥檚 region negatively impacted campus visitations, resulting in a smaller first-year class than the university had hoped to enroll this fall (1,881 fulltime compared to last year鈥檚 2,023). But this class boasts 420 Brinson Honors College students and the average high school GPA is up from 3.77 to 3.81.
鈥淭he application for fall 2026 opened on Aug. 1 and we invite prospective students to visit Cullowhee because seeing is believing,鈥� said Phil Cauley, associate vice chancellor of undergraduate enrollment. 鈥淲e鈥檒l host our first fall open house on Oct. 25, and we鈥檙e expecting lots more guests than were able to visit in the aftermath of Helene last October. 51看片is open for business, nursing, engineering and so much more.
鈥淲e鈥檙e pleased that 51看片has achieved growth in total enrollment, undergraduate enrollment, graduate enrollment, and enrollment of North Carolina residents. Gains occurred in Cullowhee-based and distance enrollment as well. The resiliency, persistence, and performance of our continuing students in the wake of Helene spurred enrollment growth.鈥�
For more information about open house or to schedule a tour, go to visit.wcu.edu.
