Numbers show record increase from Fall 2019
Jacqueline Peraza | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Unofficial enrollment numbers show a record 32,000-plus students are attending UTRGV this semester amid the COVID-19 pandemic, university officials say.
Magdalena “Maggie” Hinojosa, senior vice president for Strategic Enrollment and Student Affairs, confirmed today to The Rider there were 32,618 students as of Sept. 14, an increase of about 11% compared to Fall 2019.
According to official UTRGV Enrollment Reports, there are 27,275 undergraduate, 5,122 graduate and 221 medical students.
The breakdown of undergraduate students is as follows:
–5,350 new incoming freshmen
–388 freshmen
–5,278 sophomores
–6,674 juniors
–and 9,180 seniors.
The undergraduate breakdown does not add up to the total number of undergraduate students because “there are other students (post bacc, certificate programs, etc.) that have to be counted in our undergraduate counts even though they are not in an undergrad classification,” according to an email sent by Hinojosa last Thursday.
Parwinder Grewal, dean of the Graduate College and executive vice president for Research, Graduate Studies & New Program Development, said there are 5,122 students enrolled in the Graduate College.
Of those 5,122 students, 4,684 are pursuing a master’s degree, 375 are pursuing a doctorate and 65 are enrolled in certificate programs.
Grewal said the numbers show a slight decrease since the preliminary numbers were released but that it is normal.
“That is normal because sometimes the student’s situation changes,” he said. “They cannot gather the money, or they have some other family issues. So, even after getting admission, and sometimes even after enrolling, then they say, ‘I will join next semester or I cannot really join.’”
Hinojosa said the four most pursued majors at UTRGV have not changed from last year.
“The top four majors are biology, criminal justice, interdisciplinary studies and nursing,” she said. “They technically haven’t changed from the year before.”
Grewal said the enrollment numbers are considered official after the Office of Strategic Analysis and Institutional Reporting (SAIR) approves them.
“[SAIR finalizes] the numbers and they will work on it in a few days,” he said. “But, because we have already done the final drops and also Census Day has occurred … these are pretty much the final numbers.”
Enrollment numbers are not certified until they are reported to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in October, Hinojosa said in an email.
She said UTRGV is proud of its students for continuing to work hard during these times.
“I just would like to add that we’re extremely proud of our students during these unprecedented times and their resiliency to doing everything they possibly can to continue their education,” Hinojosa said.
