Official enrollment figures for the second week of fall classes shows 3,980 new students at Ball State for a total university enrollment of 18,528. The grand total is down 66 from last year but is slightly higher than had been predicted. Last year's freshman class totaled 3,711.

"We're very pleased that overall enrollment is holding steady, and the freshman class is larger than we had anticipated," said Vice President for Student Affairs Douglas McConkey. "We have been working hard to improve retention and those efforts also are beginning to bear fruit."

Among the encouraging indicators are an 18.3 percent increase in top ability freshmen enrolled in the university's Honors College. There are 316 freshmen in the Honors College thisfall, up from 267 last year. The average combined SAT score for entering Honors College freshmen is also up seven points to 1264.

The number of graduate students studying at Ball State is up slightly to 2,094, also a good sign at a time when the economy is strong and jobs plentiful. A booming economy usually results in a drop in students pursuing advanced degrees, said officials.

"I believe we have bottomed out and will see a steady increase in enrollment in the next several years," said McConkey. "The demographics and our own student recruitment efforts should ensure an upward trend."