App State enrollment reaches 20,023, breaks records for underrepresented students

BOONE, N.C. — In August 2020, Appalachian State University welcomed 20,023 students, a landmark enrollment for the university. In addition, numbers from the fall 2020 census data and the Office of Admissions as of Aug. 28 also show significant increases in first-year underrepresented students.

Appalachian enrolls 5,992 rural students — more than 300 students above the University of North Carolina System strategic plan benchmark for this year — and 6,100 first-generation undergraduate students, which is 34% of the total undergraduate population. A record 18% of the total population is racially/ethnically diverse. Appalachian has increased its total underrepresented student population by 56% since 2014. Of note, the university has seen a 97% increase in first-year underrepresented students since 2014, nearly doubling that enrollment in six years.

Undergraduate enrollment has increased by 543, or 3%, for a total of 18,061. Graduate student enrollment is up 11% for a total of 1,962. App State Online enrollment (undergraduate and graduate) has increased by more than 18% for a total of 1,513. New online graduate students have increased by nearly 30% from last year.

“These accomplishments speak directly to the tremendous efforts of our faculty and staff, as they continue to deliver top-quality educational experiences for our students, even amid a global pandemic unlike anything our university has encountered. Appalachian continues to attract and retain high caliber students who graduate and embody the promise of higher education as they make positive contributions to communities across North Carolina and beyond,” Appalachian Chancellor Sheri Everts said.

In fall 2019, Everts announced Appalachian’s goal of reaching an enrollment of 20,000 students by the fall 2020 semester. In remarks to faculty and staff in September 2019, she said this goal would increase tuition revenue “for classroom resources, for salaries and additional personnel, for innovative and creative teaching and research endeavors.”

Another key performance indicator for universities across the nation is the first- to second-year retention rate. Appalachian’s overall 2020 first- to second-year retention rate is 86.5%, more than 12 points above the national average. Among underrepresented students, that rate is 83.5%, outperforming the overall national average for all students by 9 points.

“Our strong retention rate is a testament to our rigorous academic programs and comprehensive student support services. We want our students to successfully matriculate and experience all Appalachian has to offer,” Everts said.

The university also opened two new residence halls for the fall 2020 semester — Thunder Hill and Raven Rocks — that provide a combined 912 beds and 240,550 square feet. A third is under construction. Justice Hall is being demolished to make way for the construction of a fourth residence hall. More information can be found on the Appalachian’s Future website.

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About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the state of North Carolina, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls more than 19,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.