WWU enrollment shows record number of students of color

Western Washington University’s fall enrollment figures show that the freshman class is the largest, most culturally diverse in the history of the university.

Fall enrollment for freshmen and transfer students of color is the highest ever at Western. For fall quarter, of 2,795 freshmen, there are 711 students of color, or 25.4 percent. That compares to 2,688 freshmen fall quarter 2012, with 629 students of color.

Of 1,045 new transfer students for fall, there are 231 students of color. That compares to 1,045 transfers fall quarter 2012, with 223 students of color.

“One of the Western values that comes closest to my heart is our commitment to fostering a campus environment that welcomes and embraces diversity. Our state's wealth is best measured by the developed talent of all its people, and we are enriched by an increasingly diverse campus, and state,” said Western President Bruce Shepard.

Total fall enrollment at Western for fall quarter is just short of 15,000 students, at 14,950. That compares with a total fall 2012 enrollment of 14,833.

And 89.5 percent of new students are resident, or in-state, with 10.5 percent from out of state, including international students. There are students from 35 states and international students from across the globe.

Nearly 78 percent of transfer students come directly from a state community college, led by Whatcom, Bellevue, Skagit, Everett and Olympic community colleges.

Leading counties of residence for students are King, Snohomish, Whatcom and Pierce counties.