The enrollment record has officially been broken at Iowa State, with the new bar being set at 33,241; an increase of 2,201 students more than the record set during fall 2012 at 31,040.

Iowa State, in its seventh consecutive year of growth, is now the biggest university in the state of Iowa; this is the first time since 1979 that ISU has surpassed the University of Iowa in enrollment.

“It’s clearly a high priority choice for students,” said President Steven Leath at the Iowa Board of Regents meeting on Sept. 11. “We provide a great value: We’re the lowest-cost institution of our 11 peers. We give students a great return on their investment.”

Job placement for ISU graduates is another attractive aspect for prospective students.

“The placement rate is unbelievable, especially with the economy lately,” Leath said. “The reason that 94 percent [of graduates] is so high is because students get so much experience in learning despite large numbers on campus.”

Leath also made comments during his presentation to the Board of Regents about how, if Iowa State’s campus were a city, it would be the 15th largest in the state of Iowa.

In almost every category of the enrollment breakdown, Iowa State has grown. Incoming freshmen increased by 723 and broke the record set last fall at 5,366 freshmen. More than 65 percent of ISU undergraduates, 18,009, are from the state of Iowa, the largest amount of Iowans at any of the three state universities.

To ease the university’s growth, Iowa State has added additional housing at Frederiksen Court, leased apartment space from Legacy Tower and Maricopa, and added more online and blended courses, a new lecture hall, food trucks on campus, new CyRide buses and more faculty members.

“In the planning process you have to look at everything,” said Tom Hill, senior vice president of Student Affairs. “It’s a lot of things and different pieces, and you need to pay attention to everything at once.”

Spencer Hughes, president of the Government of the Student Body, complimented the university administration and the Department of Residence for adjusting to the increased enrollment that Iowa State saw this fall. Hughes also said the university is preparing now for the possibility of continued growth next year, and that if enrollment continues to grow something will need to change to ease the growing pains.

“These numbers show that Iowa State is the university for the state of Iowa,” Hughes said. “At this point, it is an exciting thing to know that so many people want to be part of the Cyclone family.”

Hughes’ main concern he has heard from students is if the university continues to grow next year at the same pace, whether or not certain programs like ISU Dining and the DOR could handle it all. Hughes believes this is not an issue he sees happening.

Hill said ISU students should be excited and proud about the growth and that for him, the beginning of the fall 2013 semester has been the best start to the school year for him during his 17 years at Iowa State.

“We should be proud in the fact that we are educating the most Iowans,” Hill said. “This enrollment says to 33,241 students that Iowa State is a good value and that they can achieve their educational goals at Iowa State; it’s a great place to be.”