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Arkansas Tech is riding a statewide wave of college enrollment growth, welcoming its biggest group of new students since the pandemic.
Preliminary data show 9,090 students enrolled at ATU for the fall 2025 semester, a 4 percent increase from last year. The freshman class grew by 8 percent to 1,270 students, while transfer enrollment climbed thirteen percent and graduate enrollment rose six percent compared to fall 2024.
Incoming freshmen on the Russellville campus posted an average high school GPA of 3.53 and an average ACT score of 21. Nursing, mechanical engineering, elementary education, business management and biology are the most popular majors among the new class. About 93 percent of this year’s freshmen are from Arkansas, and 83 percent earned an academic scholarship.
University officials attribute the growth in part to efforts to keep college affordable. ATU did not raise tuition in 2024 and implemented only a 2.5 percent increase this fall, one of the smallest in the state. Around 40 percent of ATU students are the first in their families to attend college, and 41 percent come from low-income backgrounds. Administrators said affordability and support programs are central to improving retention and graduation rates.
ATU’s Ozark campus also saw an enrollment boost, reaching 2,045 students this fall, a 10 percent increase over last year. The campus has expanded its career and technical education offerings in recent years, aiming to meet workforce needs in the region and across the state.
Several academic departments at ATU reported growth this fall, including nursing, teaching and educational leadership, music, communication and media studies, kinesiology and rehabilitation science, art, the School of Professional and Community Education and the University Honors program.
The increase at ATU comes as colleges across Arkansas are experiencing a broader rebound in enrollment. After years of gradual decline, including a statewide total of 173,366 students in 2022, many public universities reported significant gains in fall 2024.
The University of Arkansas at Fayetteville surpassed 33,000 students, Arkansas State University grew to more than 15,000 students with a 12 percent increase, the University of
Arkansas at Little Rock saw a 3.8 percent overall gain with freshman enrollment up more than 30 percent, and the University of Central Arkansas also reported record numbers.
Officials across the state have pointed to expanded scholarships, targeted recruitment of freshmen and transfer students, and stronger retention efforts as factors driving the upward trend.
ATU’s enrollment totals are based on data collected after the 11th class day of the semester on Sept. 4.
