Asbury University is welcoming its largest incoming class of traditional undergraduates in 25 years and the second largest group of incoming TUG students ever.
As of Aug. 27, official enrollment numbers had yet to be announced, but a total of 420 to 423 new students is projected, Vice President of Enrollment and Marketing Jennifer McChord told the Collegian. At least 350 of those are freshmen, and around 55 are transfers.
McChord added that until last-minute enrollment add/drop rates are calculated, the numbers will remain “fluid.”
These numbers make the Beloved class the largest influx of new students since 1997 (which brought in over 500) and the highest group of freshmen since the 1970s.
Students in the Beloved class come from across 32 states with 40 new international enrollments.
“Many international students have come here from unsafe places because they believe in Jesus and are seeking a great education,” McChord said. “It’s such a blessing that their families trust Asbury enough to send their kids here.”
Both McChord and Asbury President Dr. Kevin Brown acknowledge that the large influx of students is, at least in part, attributed to the Outpouring event that occurred in Spring 2023, which drew thousands of Christians across the world to campus and received widespread media attention. However, McChord and Brown stress that the Outpouring is not the sole contributor to Asbury’s increasing enrollment.
“I think people in our community will immediately say it was Outpouring,” Dr. Brown said. “The thing is though, on Feb. 7, we were up year over year by 40%. In other words, we were already doing well pre-Outpouring.”
“What I really think the Outpouring did was solidify the truth we stand on for the prospective students we already had and drew in transfer students who already knew they wanted a Christian education experience,” McChord said.
Brown pointed out that the enrollment progression going into 2023 experienced similar trends compared to previous years, even if the numbers were more significant.
“The line was larger than the average of previous cycles,” Dr. Brown said. “Even pre-Outpouring, we were trending much higher. Around May 1, there’s usually a huge spike in deposits. Typically, about 30% of an incoming class applies then, and this year was similar.”
McChord primarily credits new strategies in admissions and marketing for the enrollment boom.
“COVID-19 prevented travel to high schools and recruitment events for multiple years,” McChord said. “Now that we’ve moved past that, Asbury is returning to building relationships with prospective students in person.”
Furthermore, McChord said that streamlining the admissions process and increasing focus on digital marketing has also helped attract new students.
“Of course, all of that is undergirded by a lot of prayer,” McChord added.
McChord and the rest of Asbury’s Marketing team hope to further explore these strategies in the coming years. This will include building a new website for Asbury to build brand awareness and make information more accessible.
“We exist to fulfill our mission,” Brown said. “This is exciting, and it will help us in the future, but more importantly, it helps us to live into our mission: an intentional, formative student experience.”