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The College of Engineering and Applied Science welcomed its largest first-year class in history in fall 2020 while navigating significant recruitment and enrollment challenges related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Based on new census data, the college’s new first-year undergraduate class is 1,197 students, a 26.3% increase from fall 2019. 

Graduate enrollment fell slightly this year, declining 1.8% from fall 2019, though the number of doctoral students increased by 2.7%. Master’s enrollment dropped by 5.4%, due in large part to travel challenges for the university’s international enrollment.

Overall, the college’s total enrollment is now 7,616 students, a 2% increase from fall 2019. 

The growth reflects the continued strength and value of a CU Boulder engineering degree, said Keith Molenaar, the college’s interim dean. Amid widespread economic uncertainty, demand for innovative, skilled engineers and applied scientists remains strong.

“The growth is fueled by industry demand,“ Molenaar said. “Even in this current economy, our virtual career fairs are attracting industry partners who need more highly qualified engineers. I am confident that this year’s class will find rewarding career opportunities upon graduation.”

The college’s new biomedical engineering program, a multidisciplinary field that draws on CU’s strengths in engineering, biology and innovation, also helped boost enrollment. Nearly 100 students—68% of them women—enrolled in the program’s first year this fall. 

This year’s new students are also highly diverse and academically qualified. Women now make up 29% of graduate students, up from 28% in fall 2019, and underrepresented minority students make up 9% of graduate students, an increase from 7%.

Among all undergraduates enrolled this fall, 29% of students are women and 17% are underrepresented minorities. The college continues to work toward its goal of an undergraduate population that is 50% female, as well as broader diversity and inclusion goals.

Though the new first-year undergraduate class is less diverse than the 2019 incoming class, it’s more diverse than those of 2017 and 2018, continuing an overall positive trend. The dip among first-year women and underrepresented minority students can be attributed largely to the coronavirus pandemic, which upended the college’s recruitment strategy and caused many students to reconsider their college plans.

Growing the incoming class

As COVID-19 began to spread in Colorado, the college pivoted to all-virtual recruitment events and meetings. Prospective students could not attend in-person events or take campus tours, which likely affected some students’ enrollment decisions. 

“While we could get information to students in this online format, we know that our most powerful recruitment tool is an on-campus experience for prospective students,” said Amanda Parker, the college’s senior director for enrollment management. “There is some magic that happens when prospective students can meet current students, tour facilities and labs, talk face-to-face with faculty and see our beautiful location.”

In addition, prospective students grappled with uncertainty surrounding fall semester classes and whether they would be able to have a traditional first-year experience on campus. Some admitted students opted to defer enrollment until the spring semester, while others ultimately decided to use this as a gap year between high school and college. These trends were widespread but were particularly prevalent among women and students of color, Parker said. 

In response, and to help achieve the college’s longer-term enrollment growth goals, the college began admitting more students, primarily those who had applied later in the admissions cycle and were still academically qualified.

“We always review applications holistically and have more qualified applicants than we have space for,” Parker said. “We attract a diverse applicant pool that continues to grow in size and in diversity year over year. All of the students admitted this year are academically qualified. Unfortunately, women and students of color enrolled at a lower rate than the rest of our students.”

To best serve the growing number of students, the college has been aggressively hiring more faculty and staff in recent years. CEAS has maintained its student-to-faculty and student-to-staff ratios, even as it grows.

“Our faculty and staff are well-positioned to serve these students and help them successfully graduate,” Molenaar said.

And, more good news is on the horizon — right now, application numbers for fall 2021 are up from last year, according to Parker.

“We’re seeing that students still want a CU Boulder on-campus experience,” she said.