Hastings College reports record first-day enrollment

Officials at Hastings College reported a record first-day enrollment of 1,146 when classes began last Monday.

That figure includes a record number of first-year students and transfer students.

Official enrollment figures will be tabulated Oct. 1.

This year's incoming first-year class of 326 includes four National Merit finalists and 19 valedictorians and salutatorians. ACT scores of first-year students average 23 points.

In addition to first-year students, Hastings College enrolled 69 students who transferred from other institutions.

The unofficial first-day count includes full-time and part-time students and master of arts in teaching students. Twelve Mary Lanning/Creighton University students who take liberal-arts courses at Hastings College, six international exchange students and 13 readmitted students are not included in these enrollment figures.

Sixty percent of new students are from Nebraska, and 25 percent are from Colorado. Other states represented include Florida, Arizona, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, Texas, South Dakota, New Mexico, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Washington and Nevada. The class also includes foreign students from England, Canada, Ireland, Germany, Italy, the Bahamas and Spain.

Hastings College, founded in 1882, is a private, four-year liberal-arts institution affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA).