DSU reports increase in enrollment numbers this fall

Student enrollment numbers at Dakota State University in Madison are up across the board. This includes increases in total headcount, Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) students, undergraduates, new freshmen, transfer, South Dakota resident students, and online students. 

The total headcount for Fall 2022 at DSU is 3241, up one-percent from Fall of 2021 and even more so from the Fall of 2020.  Part of the increase is due to a large number of incoming students, including those who are new DSU students in the form of either first-time freshmen or transfer students.  

During a media call with all of the state’s Board of Regents’ institution presidents on Tuesday, DSU President José-Marie Griffiths talked about the programs that are seeing the most growth at the university.

One of the largest increases in enrollment at DSU is among its graduate students.  The number of those went up more than three-percent this fall over last.  DSU offers seven master’s degrees and four doctoral degree options.  

Board of Regents Executive Director Brian Maher said Tuesday that overall, headcount enrollment at the state’s institutions is up nearly one-percent this fall over last.  He said that also there was a bigger increase in first time students this fall.

Maher said that these are two optimistic trends that they are seeing throughout the Board of Regents’ institutions.  

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Additional Numbers for DSU:

FTE: The number of students taking a full-time course load is 1,990, or 61%. This total number is up slightly from 1,978 students in Fall 2021.

Online Students/On-campus: There are 1,304 on-campus students (undergraduate and graduate). There are 1,773 students who take courses completely online.

South Dakota Residents: Enrollment of students from South Dakota is up 4.24% this fall, to 1,965. This number was 1,885 in Fall 2021 and 1,861 in Fall 2020. This is just over 60% of the total DSU enrollment. Many of these students are taking courses online and on-campus. Sixty-four of South Dakota’s 66 counties are represented in those numbers. There are also students from 49 states (none from Vermont this fall).

International Students: There are 123 international (F1) students at DSU this fall, a 22 percent increase from Fall 2021. Of those, 107 are degree-seeking students, an increase of 20 students from Fall 2021. These students represent 52 countries.

Athletics: There are 501 student-athletes this fall, compared to 471 last year.

Residence Hall Occupancy: There are 811 students living in Dakota State residence halls, the first time that number has been over 800. Last year’s occupancy was 770.

September 21, 2022