University of Central Arkansas officially announces its largest incoming class

CONWAY, Ark.- The start of the school year was a bit busier than the last, with growing enrollment numbers at several universities across the state, including the University of Central Arkansas.

Official census day numbers have come out, and UCA can officially announce that its enrollment has increased by 3.4% to 10,123 students enrolled in total.

“It’s great to be a couple of weeks into the semester and know that we can officially give a count to our freshman class, that’s 2183, we are really excited,” UCA President Houston Davis said.

“A lot of new faces, and a lot of new energy on the UCA campus,” Davis said.

Davis says it is a true testament to the outstanding faculty, staff, and students here at the university.

“I like to say when a student comes to UCA, they’re not just looking at the university and the people that work here they are looking at the students that they see having an experience here,” Davis said.

Davis says this is the right direction for UCA.

Conway as a whole is feeling the increase in traffic and students’ presence as they come and go in the community as the fall semester brings students back to the college town.

The classrooms and residence halls also feel the growth.

The university partnered with The Edge, a nearby apartment complex, for an extra 96 beds this year.

When asked how the university will handle the housing issue if enrollment numbers continue to rise, President Davis said they are already analyzing it.

“You don’t make that decision for one or two years, you have to make that decision for multiple decades,” Davis said.

According to Davis, the university will examine enrollment numbers over the next few years to determine the right course of action. However, after putting “the math on the paper,” they have a few options.

“We certainly are looking at needing to have some partnership, whether that be with private entities for more housing or potentially putting up new housing at UCA,” Davis said.

A portion of the number can be attributed to the first class of the UCA Commitment program, a debt-free pathway for education.

“765 of those 2183 incoming freshmen are on UCA commitment,” Davis said. “It’s moving the needle, and it’s really exciting.”

UCA is not the only school to see record-breaking enrollment; the University of Arkansas says a 4.6% increase with a total student body of 33,610.

Arkansas State University saw a 12% increase of 16,687 students, while Harding University saw a 2% increase, making its total student body 4,696.

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