By Lauren Steinbrook
Section Editor
Close to 500 new students joined the Trevecca community this fall.
Melinda Miller, vice president of undergraduate enrollment, said there were a total of 445 freshmen and transfers enrolled this fall, with 375 of those being freshman and 70 being transfers. In the fall of 2022, there were 378 new freshmen and 67 transfers.
Miller said the admissions team was anticipating an increase in enrollment from the beginning of the recruitment cycle. They were able to increase the number of applications received by more than 300, which has never been done in Trevecca history. The university received 1,926 applications for the fall 2023, compared to the 1,658 received for the fall of 2022.
“We had a record number of admits and still had the same number of students as last year,” said Miller. “So, what that tells us is that the behavior of the students are changing.”
Nationwide, undergraduate college enrollment dropped 8% from 2019 to 2022, according to data from the National Student Clearinghouse.
Miller called it “post pandemic behaviors,” explaining that students seem to be applying to more institutions as well as depositing to multiple institutions to keep their options open
for longer so they can take more time in their decision process.
According to statistics provided by Miller from admissions, 62% of new students are female and 38% of them are male.
Ethnicity statistics for the freshman class, as reported by students and recorded by the university, report 254 white students, 96 Hispanic, 54 Black or African American, 21 Asian, 7 American Indian or Native American and 3 native Hawaiian or Pacific islander. Miller said it was important to note that students are not required to disclose ethnicity, and that they may select multiple categories.
Reported religious affiliation revealed 21% (79) of freshman students identify as Nazarene.
Miller said that to start adjusting to the changes, they are going to be working on their conversion rates at Trevecca events. Miller said that experience Trevecca day has a 50% conversion rate. Last year 70 students attended McClurkan scholarship day and were able to enroll 60% of those students. They are also looking to expand campus visits.
