Larger classes, first-years living in Dupre singles, the occasional food shortage in the cafeteria: all these factors point to a larger-than-usual first-year class. Although it is the largest class since 1971 (not 1969, as was previously reported in The Mac Weekly), it is merely eight students larger than the first-year class of 2001.

First-year applications went up 17 percent this year, from 3,713 in 2002 to 4,341 this year. Macalester offered admission to 44 percent of those students and 27 percent of those admitted enrolled, which were the exact same percentages as last year. Overall, this year’s first-year class has 513 members, while last year’s had 441.

The number of minority first-year students this year is 60, slightly above the 10-year average. Enrollment of first-year international students decreased from last year’s 69 to 46. However, the number of white students who enrolled went up from 311 last year to 407 this year, making up the difference in the total number of students enrolled and lowering the percentage of non-white U.S. students and international students.

“That’s a big number,” said Dan Balik, associate Provost and director of Institutional Research, referring to the number of white students. “It’s almost the biggest number of students in that particular category in, like, 25 years. I’m not sure we know exactly why that is.” He cited as one possible reason the higher overall yield of admitted students.

Of U.S. first-year students, 47 states are represented. (Only Arkansas, New Hampshire and West Virginia are not represented.) The first-year class is 58 percent female and 42 percent male, which is average for Macalester and comparison colleges, according to Balik.

For the whole college, retention rates have risen this year to their highest levels. Of the class of 2005, 89 percent have remained enrolled until their third year. The four-year graduation rate (based on the class of 2003) is 78 percent, significantly higher than 73 percent for the class of 2002. Both these percentages are at their highest ever. The retention rate of the class of 2006 is 92 percent, nearly the same as last year’s rate and one of the highest in 10 years.

“We don’t know why they are high,” Balik said. “It’s a little different because there are so many variables. Other [Associated Colleges of the Midwest] colleges have been experiencing better graduation rates, retention rates and bigger first-year classes. All this has happened in the past year or two.”

Class size has also increased this year as well, jumping from last fall’s 16.8 students per class to an estimated 18.3 students per class for this fall. Balik partially attributed this to the unusually low number of students studying abroad this fall (69 students). He cited the war in Iraq and the SARS outbreak, which occurred around application time last spring, as possible influences.