University of Missouri freshman class grows on first day

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The first-day freshman class at the University of Missouri grew by nearly 3% this year, the university said Monday, the first day of classes.

More than 5,000 freshmen were enrolled to start the fall semester, a 2.7% increase from last year, according to an MU news release. Undergraduate enrollment at 23,571 was also up slightly, MU said.

First-day enrollment figures are preliminary and likely to change. Official figures are taken at the four-week mark of the semester.

MU said total enrollment held steady from last year, pointing out that college enrollment is trending down nationwide.

Freshman retention is up, with nearly 9 in 10 freshmen coming back for their sophomore year, according to the release. The university says graduation rates have been increasing and that the 75% rate in spring 2022 was the highest in school history.