The number of first-year students who have chosen to come to Queen’s this fall has increased by 3.2 per cent compared to this time last year, putting the university on track to meet its target intake of 4,422 students for the Class of ’19.

The June 1 data released by the Ontario University Application Centre (OUAC) also shows that applications to Ontario universities province-wide have remained relatively static.

“Queen’s is proud that it continues to attract an increasing number of high-quality students even as the overall number of applications to Ontario’s universities remains essentially unchanged,” says Daniel Woolf, Principal and Vice-Chancellor. “Our recruitment staff, faculty and alumni deserve our thanks for speaking with prospective students, both in Canada and internationally, about Queen’s transformational student learning experience.”

A particular area of growth in the number of acceptances comes from international students, demonstrating the results of the university’s increased international recruitment efforts. 383 international students have accepted admission at Queen’s, compared to 285 at the same time last year — an increase of 34 per cent.

The Senate-approved 4,422 first-year target for 2015 was increased from 2014 by just over 300 students, and is expected to hold steady in 2016 and 2017.

“The planned increase in our student intake in 2015 will happen in programs where Queen’s has additional capacity and will help ensure the university’s financial sustainability as it faces increasing cost pressures and static or declining government grants,” says Alan Harrison, Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic). “The university is encouraged by its acceptance numbers so far and is confident that it can achieve its 2015 enrolment targets.”

The number of acceptances reported by the OUAC in June is always higher than the actual fall enrolment, as students continue to make decisions about which university to attend over the course of the summer. The final 2015 enrolment numbers that will be reported to government are based on enrolment as of November 1.