Undergraduate Studies and Experience
Total undergraduate enrollment increased from 3,791 in Fall 2020 to 4,064 in Fall 2021, an increase of 7.2% and exceeds the goal of 4,000 by Fall of 2022 one year early. For the third year in a row, applications exceeded 10,000; there were 11,320 in Fall 2021 compared to 10,349 in Fall 2020. Selectivity was 53% for students who were admitted in Fall 2021, similar to that in Fall 2020, largely because of the global pandemic. Despite the many challenges that the pandemic created, the incoming class (first-year, Link and transfer students) is 1,140 in Fall 2021 compared to 985 in Fall 2020. The middle 50 percent SAT score increased, from 1320-1480 in Fall 2020 to 1370-1510 in Fall 2021 and exceeds the 2022 target by a significant margin.
The six-year graduation rate for the first-year cohort of 2015 dipped slightly to 87% in Fall 2021 from 88% in Fall 2020 and the 2022 target. Undergraduates of the Class of 2021 secured an outcomes rate of 97% compared to 95% for the Class of 2020, with record-breaking average starting salaries. The most notable change in the outcomes was a 5% increase in the Class of 2021 graduates choosing to pursue continuing education (37%) compared to the previous year (32%).
Stevens continued to make good progress in balancing undergraduate engineering enrollment with other majors (51% engineering of total undergraduate enrollment and exceeding the target of 60% for Fall 2022) and in increasing the percentage of underrepresented minorities in the undergraduate cohort (17.8% in Fall 2021), also exceeding the target of 15% for Fall 2022. The percentage of women among all undergraduates rose to 30% in Fall 2021, and the percentage of women in the entering first-year class in Fall 2021 improved to 33% compared to 30% in the previous year. The percentage of out-of-state undergraduates was 34% in Fall 2021 compared to 37% in the previous year. More progress is needed to increase these percentages and that of international undergraduates to reach the 2022 targets.
Many campus services were enhanced to provide additional supports for students facing academic, wellness and social challenges. Significant efforts were undertaken by university leadership, academic units and ad hoc committees to plan for and implement a successful return to campus with high-quality instruction, advising and service to students during the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters.