NEW ORLEANS (Feb.21, 2013)- Dillard is still struggling to grow its student population, losing 68 students from fall 2012 to this spring and gaining 66 new ones in their place.

 Preliminary data provided by Dr. Alecia Cyprian, assistant vice president for Enrollment Management, shows a decline of 5.2 percent from last semester, with 1,307 students in fall 2012 and 1,239 in spring 2013. That’s 10 less than were registered in fall 2011 (1,249), but 121 more than in fall 2010.

 Cyprian said the fall 2011 to fall 2012 retention rate for first-time fulltime college freshmen at DU was 68 percent.

 Even so, Cyprian said, the school projects an 8.3 percent increase for next fall: 1,342 students, about 470 of them new students.

 Dr. Willie Kirkland, directorof Institutional Advancement, will provide the official spring 2013 data at a later date.

 Here’s the breakdown for the spring semester: 66 new students, along with 335 freshmen, 307 sophomores, 273 juniors and 258 seniors.  That compares to fall 2012 numbers of 448 new students, followed by 110 freshmen, 352 sophomores, 204 juniors, 193 seniors. (DU reports lump new students of all classifications about from returning students, which it sorts by classification.)

 Pre-nursing and nursing remains the top major for the spring, with a total of with 318 students. Biology is next with 116 students. However, sociology surpassed Mass Communication with 95 students.

 Dillard’s geographic makeup remains the same. Most Dillard students are from Louisiana; the most out-of-state students come from Alabama, Illinois, Texas and California. This semester, it has its first contingent of students from Brazil, which is expected to increase next fall.