Lamar University enrollment hits record 15K students

​​​​BEAUMONT – Lamar University set an enrollment record this fall, though at least one major department experienced a sharp decline because of stricter admission requirements.

Senior Associate Provost Kevin Smith said the School of Engineering has experienced almost a 10 percent drop in enrollment year over year.

Despite that, Lamar’s enrollment topped 15,000, with a total of 15,022 students registered for the fall semester.

Brain Sattler, LU’s director of public relations, said the engineering school decline is a result of the university changing its evaluation process for prospective graduate students in the engineering program.

He said the requirements were "strengthened" to "increase the caliber of students overall."

Since many of the engineering students are from other countries, the number of international students attending the university is down by 18 percent this fall, according to university records.

While there might be fewer engineering students on campus, the university has seen a spike in students enrolling in the College of Arts and Sciences.