New Mexico State reports jump in freshman enrollment

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) - New Mexico State University is reporting the largest increase in first-time freshmen enrollment in more than 17 years.

The university announced Friday that the number of first-time freshmen enrolled for the fall semester is up more than 11 percent from the same time last year. Branch transfers at NMSU are also up more than 17 percent.

Chancellor Garry Carruthers says he feels the university is turning a corner and that marketing and recruitment efforts are paying off. He noted the increase comes even as the school has increased its admissions standards and adopted a first-year, on-campus residency requirement.

The university says the upswing in first-year enrollment on the Las Cruces campus could help to mitigate enrollment declines NMSU has experienced since seeing peak enrollment during the Great Recession.