University of Washington enrollment is near historic heights. For 2004-05, the registrar's office reported 39,199 students at the Seattle campus, just under the record 39,216 students who attended in the fall of 2002.
Undergraduate matriculated enrollment is 26,041 and graduate/professional is 11,467. Women make up almost 52 percent of the student population.
There are 4,870 new freshmen this fall, compared to 4,977 last year. The UW has about 1,000 more students enrolled than the state is actually funding. To match state funding levels, the UW is gradually decreasing the number of new students it admits.
Students of color total 11,008 and represent 28.1 percent of the Seattle student body-up from 27.2 percent last year. For undergraduates, 34.3 percent are students of color.
Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Services W.W. "Tim" Washburn is encouraged about the diverse nature of the freshman class. He notes that the percentage of under-represented groups matches or exceeds the percentages the UW had in 1998-the year before a voter initiative prohibited considering ethnicity in admission practices.
African Americans make up 3.04 percent of the freshman class, compared to 2.94 percent in 1998. Similarly, Latinos comprise 4.64 percent compared to 4.65 percent in 1998; American Indians constitute 1.27 percent compared to 1.26 percent in 1998; and Pacific Islanders make up 0.74 percent compared to 0.48 percent five years ago.
The Seattle campus will admit about 2,300 transfer students from the community college system over the course of the year, Washburn adds. UW has not changed its long-time policy of setting aside 30 percent of student openings for transfers from state community colleges.
The UW's other campuses also reported enrollments at or near record levels. UW Tacoma has 2,100 students and UW Bothell has 1,608.