By LORETTA FULTON

Abilene Christian and McMurry universities enrolled record numbers of students for the fall semester, the sixth record fall enrollment in a row for ACU, while Hardin-Simmons University hasn’t released its fall numbers to the public.

A year ago, HSU recorded its third consecutive enrollment decrease, as ACU and McMurry recorded gains in enrollment. In fall 2022, Hardin-Simmons enrolled 1,765 students, a decline of 168 students from fall 2021. 

Everyone is smiling at McMurry, which is celebrating its centennial year. Plenty of anniversary events are scheduled for homecoming Oct. 26-29. Alumni will rejoice at the university’s highest enrollment in school history. The university announced a fall enrollment of 2,556, an increase of 105 percent over the previous year. However, that number is somewhat misleading, as 1.400 of the students are still in high school and are enrolled in the McMurry Dual Credit Academy. New incoming full-time first-time students have increased 15.64 percent over last year, and the 2023 cohort is the largest in the last 12 years.

Currently McMurry has over 75 dual credit partner schools and districts throughout the state of Texas. The McMurry Dual Credit Academy was launched in January 2022 and has seen explosive growth in student enrollment in just 21 months.

“Our historic enrollment growth really represents a three-pronged success story,” University President Sandra S. Harper said. “We have attracted a large first-year class to participate in our academic community, have nurtured our continuing students as they progress through their educational journey, and have exponentially grown the innovative McMurry Dual Credit Academy.”

In addition to homecoming, McMurry will hold its 100th Convocation on Sept. 21 with featured speaker and alumnus Thierry Tchenko, Class of 2017. 

ACU’s enrollment of 6,219 reflects an increase of 4.6 percent over last year and more than 19 percent over the past five years. 

This fall’s record enrollment includes 1,021 new freshmen who come from every region of Texas, the continental United States and across the world with 25 valedictorians/salutatorians, five National Merit Finalists and 39 international students. 

“This year’s enrollment record combined with the quality of our student body helps fuel ACU’s rise as a national research university,” said ACU President Phil Schubert.

Fall 2023 ACU Quick Facts
Total enrollment: 6,219
Undergraduate students: 4,196
Graduate students: 2,023
Abilene campus: 3,535
ACU Dallas:  2,684
International students: 201
Ethnic diversity of the student body: 46.3%

Loretta Fulton is creator and editor of Spirit of Abilene