NEWS

Drury University starts school year with 500+ new students

Claudette Riley
CRILEY@NEWS-LEADER.COM

Drury University started the school year with more than 500 new freshmen, transfer and international students — an increase of 39 percent over last year.

It is the largest incoming class in five years.

Drury University reports its largest incoming class in five years.

Drury President Tim Cloyd said he is encouraged by the influx of new students. He said the university's 2016 graduating class was large so the overall enrollment number may be flat or up slightly.

"We bring this very large class in. Next year we do the same thing and we're on the right trajectory," Cloyd told the News-Leader. "I am encouraged by ... the demand for Drury and that has to do with the prestige of Drury."

According to a news release, the Class of 2020 represents a jump in both headcount and percent growth. The preliminary count shows 503 freshmen, transfer and international students — up from 363 last year.

The university's largest incoming class was 538 students in the fall of 2010.

“I am extremely proud of the work that has been done by our faculty and staff to bring in one of the largest classes in Drury’s history,” Cloyd said, in the release. “There is truly a demand for a Drury education, and for the kinds of engaged learning experiences and mentorship that are an integral part of the Drury experience.”

Drury has retooled its recruitment efforts in recent years, continuing to pull heavily from the Springfield, Kansas City and St. Louis areas. It has expanded its outreach into the Chicago, Des Moines and Omaha areas.

The university's official enrollment count will come Sept. 9.

Despite relaxing its on-campus housing requirement, 88 percent of first-time college students opted to live in Drury's residence halls. The halls now stand at 99 percent capacity.

The university said two out of every three students, or 66 percent, are now living on campus. The previous record was 62 percent.