Analysis: Looking more closely at the University of Missouri’s enrollment numbers

During Chancellor Alexander Cartwright’s address Wednesday, he touted the University of Missouri’s growing enrollment numbers and retention rates.

“We are seeing the highest student retention rate in MU’s history.” Cartwright said. “Our residence halls are almost at full capacity, with 29 percent more returning students living on campus. Diversity in our freshman class is up this year.”

MU also released a video on its Facebook page this week claiming freshman enrollment is up 13 percent, which is the highest increase from one year to the next in the past 10 years.

ABC 17 News fact checked Cartwright’s statements about enrollment, retention and diversity rates and found it’s the lowest enrollment the school has seen since 2007, more than 11 years ago.

During Cartwright’s speech, he said MU is seeing the highest student retention rate, a measure of how many freshmen return to MU for their sophomore year, in the school’s history. The rate is 87.3 percent, up 0.3 percent from 2016. Cartwright touted it is the highest ever, and it is, by 0.1 percent.

Cartwright said the retention rate is the most important out of all the enrollment numbers.

The percentage of black students at MU has also fallen since 2015, when protests on campus that helped topple university leadership included demands for more minority representation among students and faculty.

The table below shows freshman enrollment, retention rate and black student enrollment since 2004.

Year Total Enrollment First-time Freshmen

Retention Rate African-American enrollment

2018 29,443 4,696 Not yet calculated Not yet calculated 2017 30,870 4,134 87.3% 6.7% 2016 33,266 4,772 87% 6.9% 2015 35,448 6,191 85.7% 7.2% 2014 35,441 6,515 87.2% 7.2% 2013 34,658 6,194 86.2% 7.1% 2012 34,748 6,501 83.5% 7.1% 2011 33,805 6,138 83.6% 6.7% 2010 32,415 6,089 85% 6.4% 2009 31,314 5,589 84.4% 6.1% 2008 30,200 5,782 85.3% 5.6% 2007 28,477 4,982 85.2% 5.6% 2006 28,253 4,838 84.6% 5.5% 2005 27,985 4,718 84.3% 5.4% 2004 27,003 4,668 84.2% 5.1%