Date: September 29, 2009
Contact: pr@andrews.edu
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A record-setting 2009–2010 school year is underway at Andrews University with numbers at historic levels and rankings that would make any school proud. Once again, Andrews has been named one of the “Best National Universities” for 2009, as reported in U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges 2010” issue. 
  
U.S. News & World Report ranks Andrews University as the eighth most racially diverse national university and seventh among national universities in its percentage of international students. Of the more than 4,500 institutions of higher education in the United States, only 262 are recognized as national universities, schools that provide masters and doctoral programs in addition to an array of undergraduate degrees. Just 98 private institutions meet these requirements. What’s more, Andrews is the only Seventh-day Adventist institution included as a national university and one of eight national universities in Michigan. Additionally, the report shows that retention rates, as measured by U.S. News & World Report, places Andrews in the top quarter of national universities in terms of first year students remaining for ongoing study.
  
The final fall census reports that 2009–2010 enrollment numbers for Andrews University are up. Currently, 3,589 students are enrolled, an increase of 170 students or 5% over the previous high-enrollment school year. Overall, headcount enrollment has increased by more than 30% over the last eight years. Additionally, the undergraduate enrollment of 1,816 students—the highest undergraduate enrollment since 1984—and 377 FTIAC (First-Time-In-Any-College) students, and 483 freshmen overall (the highest in more than a decade) continues to flourish. 
  
“It’s really great to see how God has continued to bless, especially as we began this decade with a low enrollment for Andrews University. We’ve been able to grow since then to now record levels, and to have that record beat each year over the last few years is a reflection of how hard this campus has worked to invite students to journey towards God’s plans for their lives here at Andrews,” says Stephen Payne, vice-president of Enrollment Management and Integrated Marketing & Communication.

FTEs (Full-Time Equivalent) are up 46 students, or 1.9%, and undergraduate enrollment has grown to 1,816 students, an increase of 3% from last year’s impressive statistics. First-time graduate numbers are at 255 students, up 6%, and overall graduate student enrollment is up 6% to 1,625 students, the highest graduate student enrollment in more than 10 years.

The new freshmen population at Andrews University is especially interesting in its representation of high schools and academies from across the world. For the 2009–2010 school year, 190 Adventist high schools, other private schools, international schools, public schools and home school students are represented among the freshmen population. There are also 160 transfer students attending Andrews who come from 90 colleges around the world.

“I think our mission statement really crystallizes how several things work together for students who choose Andrews,” says Payne. “The Seek Knowledge part, of course, is obvious; that’s what most universities and colleges set out to do. But as an Adventist university, as a Christian university, the component that we should also Affirm Faith works hand-in-hand with the learning process. In the end we seek to Change the World, not on our own necessarily, because that’s a tall order. But as students learn, as they have their faith deepened, all on a culturally diverse and spiritually active campus, they do leave here ready to be led by God to Change the World for Him.”