Campus Connection

Fall numbers reach 10,569

Students at UW-La Crosse have set a record. Fall 2018 enrollment settled in at 10,569 — exceeding the previous record of 10,558 in fall 2014. Last fall’s enrollment was 10,499.

In a time when many universities across the state are seeing declining enrollment, UWL’s numbers remain strong, says Gow.

Retention of first-year students from fall 2017 to this fall was 86 percent, up from 83 percent the previous year. The national retention rate is 81 percent. Chancellor Joe Gow says UWL has been intentional in the past year about supporting student success for better retention, culminating in the appointment of a director of student success. “We’ve put a lot of work into increasing our retention rate and our efforts seem to be paying off,” he notes. UWL retains and graduates a higher percentage of its students than any other comprehensive university in the UW System. Official, 10-day enrollment records also show a first-year student class of 2,166, the largest entering class since fall 1979. In a time when many universities across the state are seeing declining enrollment, UWL’s numbers remain strong, says Gow.