Preliminary Figures Indicate Mizzou’s Retention Rate Second Highest in History

Official figures to be released near the end of September

Aug. 21, 2017

Story Contact(s):
Christian Basi, BasiC@missouri.edu, 573-882-4430

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Preliminary figures for enrollment at the University of Missouri indicate that Mizzou students are enjoying a successful collegiate career. MU began classes today with an enrollment of more than 30,000 students. This includes a freshman class of more than 4,100 students and the second highest retention rate in MU’s history at 86.6 percent. The retention rate measures how many freshmen from the 2016-17 school year are returning to Mizzou.

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“We’re excited about what our preliminary numbers are showing,” said Pelema Morrice, vice provost for enrollment management. “These are stronger numbers than what was indicated earlier this year. Additionally, our strong retention number, which is one of the highest among all of Missouri’s universities, shows us that students have successful academic experiences on campus. This class is very reflective of the state of Missouri.”

“We are not just the University of Missouri; we are the University for Missouri,” MU Chancellor Alexander Cartwright said. “We are the public land-grant research institution; our students have opportunities unlike any other Missouri institution — from undergraduate research and athletics to health care and extension. We are here for the people of this state, and we are here for our students. You can see this commitment in our strong retention numbers. We plan to improve these even further by expanding applied learning opportunities. I’m very excited to be here at this critical time, and I’m grateful for the support of our alumni and friends and the dedication of our faculty and staff. I’m excited to get to work as the new academic year begins.”

Other preliminary figures indicate another strong freshman class as the average ACT remains at 26, which is above the state average (20.2) and national average (20.8).

“Student success is at the heart of what we do at Mizzou,” said Jim Spain, vice provost for undergraduate studies and e-learning. “Over the past decade, we have made student success a priority. We have invested a lot of time and effort into programs that support our students academically and also provided them with environments that are conducive to learning. Our student success network, MU Connect, has created a student success team for each student. We connect students with resources available in Financial Aid, Residential Life, Cashiers Office, Academic Retention Services, Learning Center and numerous other student support services.”

Preliminary figures on opening day are not official figures as many students continue to enroll or drop in the first few weeks. Official census figures are gathered during the fourth week of classes and will be released in late September.