CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Average test scores for the 2014-15 freshman class of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are the highest ever, according to fall enrollment statistics released this week.
The average ACT score for members of the incoming class is 29.0, above last year’s average of 28.6, and the average composite SAT score rose from 1344 to 1372. Nearly 60 percent of the new students finished in the top 10 percent of their high school classes and nearly 12 percent were in the top 1 percent.
“Indicators of academic quality continue to rise each year,” said Chancellor Phyllis M. Wise. “We continue to attract the brightest and best students because this campus offers them an incredible and transformational learning experience.”
As of Sept. 8, the 10th day of classes, 6,937 freshmen were enrolled, compared to 7,331 last year and 6,932 in 2012. The record enrollment was 7,583 students in 2005.
For the 2014-15 year, more than 35,800 students submitted an application to attend the U. of I., an 8 percent increase. The number of applications for transfer students also jumped, by 14 percent, with 4,939 applying to the U. of I. Of those, 1,331 enrolled for the fall semester, a 3 percent jump.
The rate of underrepresented students stayed about the same, dropping from 16.1 to 15.6 percent, while the number of students who are first in their families to attend college was virtually unchanged at just over 20 percent.
The state of Illinois is the top producer of students in the freshman class with 4,927; students from foreign countries total 1,061, representing about 15 percent of the total student population. China has 658 students, South Korea 132 and India 126.
The top enrollment centers for this year’s freshman class are the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (2,074), the College of Engineering (1,566) and the Division of General Studies (1,474).
Charles Tucker, vice provost for undergraduate education and innovation, said university officials are impressed with the academic accomplishments of the freshman class.
“This year’s class is one of the strongest we have ever enrolled,” he said. “It’s clear that students recognize the value of an Illinois education and want to be a part of that tradition of excellence.”
Tucker said the student yield, the difference between those who were accepted and those who enroll in the fall, was down this year, an area university officials already are addressing. Officials also are focusing on attracting more resident students and promoting more diversity in future classes.
