Enrollment at Delaware State University continues to grow. DSU is another step closer to reaching its expressed goal of 5,000 students by 2020.
For a sixth straight year, the Historically Black University says it has the largest number of students attending in school history. This year’s enrollment is 4,872—a 5% increase from last year.
DSU spokesman Carlos Holmes attributes the continued growth to new enrollment leadership and new additions from the first graduating class at DSU’s Early College High School. He also points to a scholarship program for undocumented immigrant students.
“They come here on full scholarships. We’re on the third year of that program and we just got a whole new core of Dreamers, as we like to call them, here at Delaware State University. So that has contributed it,” said Holmes.
Holmes adds securing the fourth year of the state-sponsored INSPIRE scholarship led to a 21% increase in enrollment from Delaware high school students.
Freshman retention at the has also risen to an all-time high 73%.
“We are keeping a lot closer track of the progress of our students, and when we start seeing some red flags in their grades and their academic performances we work to address that with them. This has really helped us, I think, bring out retention rates up,” said Holmes.
A new residence hall on the DSU’s campus is currently under construction.
