Purdue expects largest freshman class, more minorities

Purdue University anticipates its incoming batch of freshmen to be the largest class in recent years.

Vice provost for enrollment management Pam Horne told The Journal and Courier that based on the number of people who paid their admissions deposit by the May 1 deadline, the incoming class will include more than 7,400 students. Last year's incoming class had more than 7,200 freshmen, according to the university.

Horne said the university saw a 15 percent increase over last year in deposits from underrepresented minorities, including Native Americans, blacks, Hispanics and Pacific Islanders. Almost 700 underrepresented minorities were enrolled during the 2016-17 academic year.

The university also expects to have more than 4,000 freshmen from Indiana on campus for the first time since 2008, Horne said.

Purdue set an all-time high for enrollment in the 2016-17 academic year, with 40,451 students in the fall semester, including 30,043 undergraduates.

Increased recruiting efforts, a tuition freeze, and lower room and board rates help increase the number of students who apply, Horne said.

"We continue to see increased attention from students in Indiana and around the world due to the positive Purdue story, including our focus on affordability and lowering the cost of attendance," she said.

The anticipated incoming student population has a strong academic profile. Horne said the mean ACT score is expected to be higher than 28 for the first time in Purdue's history.