With a four percent increase over last year’s record-breaking undergraduate numbers, Stetson University is enjoying another banner year for enrollment, according to Joel Bauman, vice president for enrollment at Stetson.

“I am excited to report that 878 new students started classes recently; this is the third largest entering class in Stetson’s history and arrives with excellent credentials as expected,” said Bauman. “With a record 2,841 undergraduates, we are on target now to reach 3,000 undergraduates by the fall of 2016.”

This year, Stetson’s first year student applications numbered 10,980, exceeding last year’s record of 10,507. Reacting to a larger than expected entering class last year, Bauman explained, Stetson’s administration targeted a smaller entering class of freshmen.

“The entering class of 878, is composed of 773 freshmen and 105 transfer students, hailing from 43 states and 22 countries,” Bauman reported. “We were not immune from larger market forces that led to the highly cited trend of ‘summer melt,’ which is the cancellation of deposited students late into the summer,” he said. “But I’m confident that the Stetson community will respond appropriately and rally together to ensure the kind of quality service and support to ensure a solid spring semester enrollment cycle and a fall class that we can be proud of,” Bauman said.

“Guided by Stetson’s Strategic Map, we have been able to manage growth in undergraduate enrollment this fall,” said Resche Hines, Ph.D., assistant vice president of institutional research and effectiveness.

This year graduate students at Stetson, with the exception of College of Law students, number 336.

A total 950 students are enrolled this year at Stetson University College of Law. This total includes 865 enrolled J.D. students—669 full-time, and 196 part-time. There are also 20 LL.M. in Advocacy, 37 LL.M. in Elder Law and 10 LL.M. in International Law students enrolled. Additionally, there are eight visiting students, two exchange students and 10 certificate in U.S. legal systems students.

There are 320 total new students entering this fall at the College of Law. This includes 215 new full-time and 36 new part-time J.D. students. There are an additional 14 LL.M. in Advocacy, 14 LL.M. in Elder Law and eight LL.M. in International Law students entering this fall. There are also 16 transfer students, five new visiting students, two exchange students and 10 certificate in U.S. legal systems students.