Benedictine enrolls record freshmen class for fifth consecutive year
9/10/2009

Phil Brozynski, Media Relations Manager
(630) 829-6094
pbrozynski@ben.edu

Benedictine University enrolled a record freshman class for the fifth consecutive year.

Four hundred forty-five freshmen began fall classes at Benedictine University, compared to 427 who started the fall term one year ago and the 261 who started the fall term as recently as 1999. The average grade point average of this year’s freshmen class is 3.3 (on a 4.0 scale), and the average incoming composite ACT score is 23 (up from 22 one year ago).

“We are excited to welcome so many outstanding young freshmen to Benedictine,” said Kari Gibbons, Associate Vice President of Enrollment. “While many students are delaying their college careers or opting for community colleges because of the economy, Benedictine is still attracting some of the brightest minds from Chicago and elsewhere in record numbers.”

Fifty-two percent of the freshmen enrolled are male and 40 percent of the freshmen are minorities. Seventy-six percent are from the suburbs of Chicago and the number of students (38) from out of state increased by 9 percent from one year ago.

Forty-four percent of the freshmen intend to pursue a major in the sciences (up 5 percent from last year), and the number expressing interest in a business major also increased (14 percent, up from 11 percent last year).

“I believe the tuition freeze put in place by Benedictine President William Carroll and our board of trustees played a significant role in our enrollment increase,” Gibbons added. “The freeze indicated our administration’s concern for students and its willingness to make school affordable and accessible.

“I am proud of the way our University community came together with a focus on student enrollment,” she added.

Benedictine University also welcomed 267 students who transferred from community colleges and other four-year institutions. Fifty-seven percent of the transfer students are female and 31 percent are minorities.

Fifty-one percent of the transfer students indicated science as their No. 1 field of interest, followed by social science (13 percent) and the humanities (8 percent).

“Although we have just experienced a record enrollment in our Fall 2009 freshman class, we are already looking ahead to next year,” Gibbons said.

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