UND fourth week enrollment is at 13,172 UND posted its second-highest-ever enrollment of 13,172 in its final fourth-week enrollment tally, according to Suzanne Anderson, UND Registrar. That total is up 424 students (3.3 percent) from last year's final count of 12,748. UND reached its all-time high in 2004 with 13,187. Anderson said the University will actually serve quite a few more students during the course of the year: "The 13,172 number is the 'official enrollment,' but it is a snapshot only of the students registered on the first day of the fourth week of school. It doesn't include many of the students that we serve." Anderson said UND typically enrolls an additional 2,000 or so degree-seeking students throughout the remainder of the year. UND saw growth in the Graduate School, with 2,248 students (an increase of 5 percent from last year) compared to 2,135 in 2008 and 1,985 in 2007. President Robert Kelley says that's good news for the University, since a strong research enterprise is predicated in part on a strong graduate school. The Graduate School has shown positive increases (up 756 students from the 2000-01 academic year) when the enrollment was 1,492. That is consistent with UND's Strategic Plan, which states that graduate students will represent 20 percent of UND's student body. The increase in graduate students, particularly at the doctoral level, also has a significant impact as UND works to increase its research enterprise. UND has recorded about $100 million in sponsored programs and research each of the past three years. UND attracted 1,992 new freshmen (up 3 percent) and 811 transfer students (up 7 percent). UND's professional schools (law and medicine) are typically stable with a combined enrollment of 484. UND also recorded a record 14,673 in total credit hours for part-time students. Particularly seeing growth, in addition to The Graduate School, were the School of Engineering & Mines, College of Arts & Sciences, and School of Medicine and Health Sciences undergraduate programs. Kelley said UND will directly serve more than 2,400 people this year through distance education, including online courses, particularly in the areas of engineering (civil, electrical, chemical and Mechanical), nursing, forensic psychology, special education, social work, and autistic spectrum disorders. UND, which already offers 40 degree and certificate programs off campus, continues to make great strides in expanding its distance education opportunities. UND offers 400 for-credit online sessions and 362 non-credit online career and personal training courses. He said UND would serve thousands more in non-credit workshops, conferences, and similar learning opportunities. Robert Boyd, UND Vice President for Student and Outreach Services, said he is pleased with the enrollment, which showed growth across the board. Kelley said UND continues to be an excellent institution with an excellent reputation, pointing to the recent rankings in U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Washington Monthly, and Entrepreneur Magazine. NOTE: This is the second year North Dakota University System have taken the final enrollment snapshot in the fourth week. In previous years, that snapshot has been taken in the third week. -- Peter Johnson, Executive Associate Vice President for University Relations, 777-4317, peterjohnson@mail.und.nodak.edu