Fall 2002 Enrollment at CUNY Increases by 5.4%
Entering Class Has Higher Test Scores

Fall 2002 enrollment at The City University of New York increased by five percent over last year, the third successive annual gain and the greatest one-year percentage increase in nearly a quarter of a century, Chancellor Matthew Goldstein announced today.

“Students are coming to the University because the importance of the CUNY degree is understood and valued by the public,” said Chancellor Goldstein. “The University has accomplished two objectives--increasing enrollment and increasing standards--that are often seen as contradictory.”

Total headcount now stands at 208,047, the largest total enrollment since 1994 and the greatest one-year percentage increase since 1978. Enrollment of first-time freshmen rose 4.4%, overall 5.7% at the senior colleges, while transfer admissions grew by 5.9% overall.

The undergraduate enrollment of 174,844 is the highest since 1995. This is a 5.4% increase over last year’s undergraduate enrollment, again the greatest one-year percentage increase since 1978.

Freshman enrollment of 26,844 in Fall 2002 represents the largest entering freshman class since 1996. At the senior colleges, the freshman class increased by 15,784, or 5.7 %, the highest since 1989.

Students admitted to CUNY’s baccalaureate programs reported the highest SAT scores (1095) since the SAT was required for admission to the senior colleges. The national average for students intending to enroll in a college this fall is 1020.

The entering transfer class of 16,508 reached an all-time high this fall. The class is the largest since fall, 1975.

The current graduate student enrollment (29,203) is the highest since 1974.

Among the largest gainers were City College in Manhattan, 13 %; Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, 10.8 %; York College in Queens, 10.4 %; and John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan, 9.0 %. Among community colleges, Borough of Manhattan Community College and Hostos Community College in the Bronx each experienced gains of 9.7 %. Overall community college enrollment is 66,092, the highest level since 1995.

The City University of New York, the nation’s leading urban public university, comprises 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, a graduate school, a law school and a medical school. More than 208,000 degree-credit students and more than 205,000 continuing and professional education students are enrolled throughout the five boroughs of the City of New York. For more information visit www.cuny.edu.

Revised 10/01/02.