Edward Waters Enrollment Skyrockets as University Shatters 1000 Student Threshold for First Time in Nearly Two Decades

Edward Waters Enrollment Skyrockets as University Shatters 1000 Student Threshold for First Time in Nearly Two Decades

Jacksonville, Florida – Overall enrollment at the newly named Edward Waters University (EWU) has increased by a stunning 14%, as marked at the close of its fall registration period on Friday, August 27, 2021. The phenomenal single-year, double-digit percentage enrollment increase culminated in a final fall 2021 enrollment count of 1104 students at Florida’s first historically black college or university (HBCU) and first private institution of higher education—the highest overall enrollment the institution has seen in close to twenty years. Relatedly, the university simultaneously welcomed its largest class of new students on record, as a total of 531 new students enrolled at the state of Florida’s and Jacksonville’s newest university, which represents a 27% increase in total newly enrolled students at EWU over fall 2020 and a 50% increase over fall 2019.

“This tremendous development for our university is further evidence of our continuing advancement and forward movement as a ‘destination institution’ of choice amongst parents and prospective students who are increasingly selecting Edward Waters for their higher educational future,” said Dr. A. Zachary Faison, Jr., President, and CEO of Edward Waters University.  

“We’re equally ecstatic that this year’s enrollment outcome is also indicative of substantial progress being made towards enhancing the retention of our Tiger students as this latest overall enrollment effort indicates that we were successful in retaining nearly 80% of our students from spring 2021 to fall 2021,” President Faison stated.  

Accordingly, and despite the challenges wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the university is experiencing a comprehensive institutional renaissance marked by remarkably rapid growth as this year makes the second consecutive year of increased total enrollment at EWU. This renaissance led to an awe-inspiring 18% increase in overall student enrollment over the past two academic years (i.e., overall student enrollment increased by 4% in fall 2020 and 14% in fall 2021). Accordingly, the university received nearly 7,000 applications for the current 2021-2022 academic year, representing a 17% increase in total applications received by the university over fall 2020.  

“This incredibly positive enrollment outcome was the result of a lot of really hard work by all of the members of our cross-institutional SERT (Strategic Enrollment and Retention Team) and particularly Mr. Kendrick Dunklin, our Executive Director of Enrollment Management, whose team worked collaboratively to achieve this signature high overall and new student enrollment mark,” said EWU Vice President for Enrollment Management and Strategic Matriculant Services, Dr. Jennifer Price.

In addition, the overall competitive profile for this year’s newest collection of Tiger scholar students is equally notable as the average grade point average amongst the entering EWU. The Class of 2025 is an impressive 3.05, up from the reported 2.86-grade point average (GPA) of last year’s new student class.

Moreover, this fall, the university is also excited to welcome its third consecutive cohort of high achieving students who are members of the “Gamma Cohort” of the EWU. Honors College. This third iteration of twenty dynamically talented and academically gifted Tiger scholars whose high school GPA averaged 3.94 included a class valedictorian and a student who earned a nearly  6.0 GPA. Among the 531 new students matriculating at EWU this fall,  are over 30 of the institution’s first ever graduate students enrolled in EWU’s new fully online Masters of Business Administration (M.B.A.) program. As a collective, the graduate students in EWU’s inaugural graduate program boast an impressive series of resumes with an average 3.1 undergraduate GPA while hailing from locales from throughout the state of Florida and the country, including Ohio, Texas, and Alabama.  

“After developing a comprehensive enrollment management and marketing plan that focused on retention and recruitment, we have met our enrollment goal for the fall 2021 semester. This grand accomplishment would not have been possible without the strategic direction of our superlative President & CEO, Dr. A. Zachary Faison, Jr.,” said Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Donna H. Oliver.