DePaul University enrollment has increased by 510 students this fall to 17,804, the largest enrollment in DePaul's history. Computer, business and the graduate education programs saw significant increases in enrollment that reflect trends in career interests among college students.

"DePaul's ability to achieve its enrollment goals is the envy of many private Midwestern universities," said David Kalsbeek, vice president for enrollment management. "The university continues to respond well to the needs of the Chicago region for an educated workforce, whether it's teachers, business leaders, computer professionals, biologists, or whomever." Kalsbeek said several factors have helped boost enrollment at DePaul, including high rankings of several programs in national magazine-sponsored college guides, the convenience provided by courses offered at five campuses in the city and suburbs, and the booming economy.

Among the trends evident in DePaul's enrollment numbers:

• Technology Attracts Large Numbers of Students
• New Freshman Class is Large, More Diverse and Scores Higher Academically
• Business School Enrollment Up
• Interest in Teaching Careers Rises

TECHNOLOGY ATTRACTS LARGE NUMBERS OF STUDENTS

Enrollment in the day undergraduate program in DePaul's School of Computer Science, Telecommunications and Information Systems (CTI) increased by 24 percent, the largest increase among all programs in DePaul's eight schools and colleges.

The day undergraduate programs added 106 students this fall, increasing enrollment to 550. Evening undergraduate program enrollment at the computer school also increased significantly, by 41 students, or 23 percent, for an enrollment of 218 students.

CTI's graduate program enrollment also rose, increasing by 119 students, or nearly 13 percent, to 1,038. CTI offers the largest graduate computer education program by enrollment in the country.

Six new full-time faculty members and several part-time instructors were hired by CTI to accommodate the demand for classes.

CTI Dean Helmut Epp said interest in the computer field is increasing in general because of the rapid growth of the Internet and the strong technology job market, with high starting salaries for recent graduates.

"At DePaul in particular, cutting-edge degree programs introduced by CTI during the last two years, including human computer interaction, distributed systems and a concentration in database analysis, have attracted an extremely high number of students," Epp said. "We continually strive to provide our students with the latest in theory and technology."

Enrollment in computer certificate courses offered by CTI's Institute for Professional Development grew 10.6 percent, up 30 students to 313.

BUSINESS SCHOOL ENROLLMENT UP

Enrollment in the day undergraduate program at DePaul's College of Commerce increased by 76 students, up 3.5 percent this fall to 2,218. Meanwhile, enrollment in the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business grew to 2,537, an increase of 36 students or 1.4 percent.

Although the percentage increases were modest, they reflect renewed student interest in business careers after a period of decline at universities from 1988 to 1993, said College of Commerce Dean Ronald Patten. "The economy is booming, thus business is getting much more attention," he said. At the graduate level, Patten said "the MBA has not lost its cache."

"With the current growth cycle in business, some of the jobs lost in downsizing are reappearing and people are seeking MBAs to make themselves more competitive," he said. With workers increasingly holding a series of jobs during their careers, Patten said students see an MBA as "an insurance policy" that not only makes them more valuable in their current jobs but also more flexible and well-trained for future positions.

INTEREST IN TEACHING CAREERS RISES

Enrollment in the School of Education graduate programs at DePaul rose by 85 students to 1,013 this fall, a 9.2 percent increase. The increase is part of a national trend of people seeking graduate degrees for education careers, said School of Education Dean Barbara Sizemore.

"Our location here in Chicago helps," Sizemore said. "The School of Education is intimately involved in public, parochial and private schools in the area." The school focuses heavily on training educators for urban school systems. Students have many opportunities to gain hands-on classroom experience with schools in Chicago and surrounding communities, she said.

DEPAUL'S NEW FRESHMAN CLASS IS LARGER, MORE DIVERSE AND SCORES HIGHER ACADEMICALLY

DePaul's freshmen class numbered 1,233, an increase of 75 students, or 6.5 percent, over last fall. The number of minority students increased by 4.1 percent. The most notable shift in geographic distribution is an 11.2 percent gain in the number of freshmen from the Chicago suburbs. The class comes from 43 different states, the most states ever represented in a freshman class at DePaul. The average ACT composite score has increased from 23.7 to 24.1 (a perfect score is 36; the national average is 20.9). The average combined SAT score has risen from 1119 to 1139 (1600 is a perfect score; the national average is 1016).