NEW ALBANY — Citing improvements to curriculum and providing a more flexible and robust student experience, Indiana University Southeast reports an increase of 9% in transfer students and 3% in first-year undergraduate students for fall 2022, for an overall 5% increase of new students. This reflects a possible turnaround to COVID enrollment trends as students return to on-campus classes and activities without restrictions.

“We are pleased to see increases in our new student cohort,” said Kelly Ryan, interim chancellor of IU Southeast. “After two difficult years of COVID restrictions and student interest in attending college declining regionally and nationally, it is refreshing to see an increase in interest and enrollment for first-time students.”

IU Southeast, a regional campus of Indiana University, offers more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degrees and concentrations, close to home and the region’s most affordable four-year degree. Students enrolled this fall represent 68 Indiana counties, 25 states and 34 countries of origin. Most students come from a 36-mile radius of the campus. Students from eight Kentucky counties receive in-state tuition and comprise nearly 24% of total enrollment.

IU Southeast’s flexible academic programming is a major draw for new and returning students. More than 73% of students are taking at least one course online, allowing them to obtain their degree while working and maintaining family obligations.

“Our faculty has done tremendous work over the past two-to-three years to increase innovation for online teaching and increase accessibility to more students by offering more class modalities to fit with our student’s busy lives,” Ryan said. “As a result, our students are choosing a blended schedule to meet their needs. This past year we reshaped our curriculum to add more hands-on learning opportunities in every discipline; working with industry professionals to better develop skills they need in their future careers, so our students land their dream job as soon as they complete their studies.”

Overall, 29% of enrolled students are the first in their family to attend college, nearly 18% are students of color and nearly half are ages 22 or older.

In total, IU Southeast welcomed 859 new undergraduate students to campus this fall. Of those students, 253 were transfers from other universities. This year’s incoming class had an average high school GPA of 3.38, which is the highest average GPA for an incoming class in more than 13 years.

“New beginner and transfer students will experience a major shift at IU Southeast with new opportunities to learn, connect, and experience higher education,” Ryan said. “The university is running nine learning communities to help new students make connections after the last two years of pandemic related social distancing. First and second year students are also invited to attend the new “Reading, Writing, and Peopling: Essential Skills for College Success” interactive programming to dust off social skills, build connections with peers, and practice essential strategies for success in an innovative and engaging way. Additionally, IU Southeast’s excursions programing is another way for students to engage and learn, with faculty and student trips to sites of interest that help students grow their learning and decide upon careers.”

A total of 90,065 IU students were enrolled on nine campuses as of the Aug. 29 official census deadline for recording university enrollment. The figure includes enrol lment at the IU-administered campuses: IU Bloomington, IUPUI, IU East, IU Fort Wayne, IUPUC in Columbus, IU Kokomo, IU Northwest, IU South Bend, and IU Southeast. In total, there are 3,672 students enrolled at IU Southeast this fall.