Campus News

Westminster Hails 'Class of 2013' as Largest Freshman Class in History

College boasts largest out-of-state enrollment as well

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Krista DeAngelis (801) 832-2682

Aug. 26, 2009

SALT LAKE CITY – Despite the turbulent economy and uncertain fall enrollment predictions for colleges across the country, Westminster College is pleased to welcome the Class of 2013, the largest freshman class in college history. Additionally, this year’s class has the largest number of out-of-state and international students of all time.

A total of 472 freshman began classes today, and 42 percent are from outside the state or country. With nearly 2,200 undergraduates and 850 graduate students, the college’s total 2009-2010 enrollment is more than 3,000 students - a historic number for Westminster.

From Maine to Hawaii, 33 states and 24 countries are represented in the class, including: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ethiopia, Germany, Ghana, Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan, Poland, Sweden, Thailand, Vietnam, Switzerland, Norway, Hong Kong, Estonia, China, Italy, Japan, Tanzania, France and Ireland.

Students were drawn to Westminster for a variety of reasons, including close personal relationships between students and faculty, the diversity of the student body and the school’s unique location.

“Living in Utah but coming from San Francisco, it’s hard to find much diversity…however, the second you step on Westminster’s campus it’s almost like you’re out of state,” said freshman Amy Arburn, who is originally from northern California. “I came to Westminster for its diverse community, small class sizes and for teachers who really care about teaching.”

In terms of pure academic accomplishment, the freshman class at Westminster possesses an average high school grade point average of 3.49, well above the national average for high school seniors. The Westminster College Class of 2013 also includes:

Valedictorians 10
National Hispanic Scholars 21
National Merit Finalist (Full tuition) 10
National Achievement Finalist (Full Tuition) 1
Sterling Scholar Regional Winners (Full tuition) 7
Sterling Scholar Regional (Runner-up) 6
Exemplary Achievement Scholars 7


Some additional statistics include:

Registered Student Profile
217 or 46% are male
254 or 54% are female

About 23% of the entering class is either a U.S. student of color or an international student:
91 (19%) are U.S. students of color (excludes international)*
17 (4%) are international/non-resident
*percentages calculation excludes blanks and non-reporters of ethnicity.

Financial Aid Awarded
98% of incoming freshman class received a financial aid award

Average financial aid award $21,487
(Funding received from all sources - scholarship, work, loan, and grant)

About Westminster
Westminster is a nationally recognized, comprehensive liberal arts college. With a broad array of graduate and undergraduate programs, Westminster is distinguished by its unique environment for learning. Westminster prepares students for success through active and engaged learning, real world experiences and its vibrant campus community. Westminster’s unique location, adjacent to the Rocky Mountains and to the dynamic city of Salt Lake, further enriches the college experience. For more information visit http://www.westminstercollege.edu or follow WestminsterSLC or WestminsterPR on Twitter.