EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (AP) — Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has enrolled a record number of students this year.

The Belleville News-Democrat reports (http://bit.ly/1xqwS7k) 13,972 students have enrolled at the university. The jump follows two years of declining enrollment.

Chancellor Julie Furst-Bowe says the increase didn’t happen by accident.
She says the university has developed more programs in subjects in which interest is higher. It’s also expanded the admission office and started new transfer student programs with community colleges.

This is also the first year that students from Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Iowa and Wisconsin may pay in-state tuition rates. Furst-Bowe says that’s already led to a “significantly higher” number of students from Missouri.

She says the average ACT score of 23.5 for freshmen also is an all-time high.

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