CARBONDALE, Ill. (WJPF) — Leaders at SIU say they’ve stopped the university’s “downward spiral in enrollment.”

1,422 freshman students make up the largest freshman class for the university in five years and an increase of 4.5% over previous freshman classes.

Total enrollment dropped slightly with 11,266 students currently enrolled,  100 less students than last year.

Other enrollment figures released by Southern Illinois University Wednesday:

•  For the first time since 2014, the university increased its freshman class for two consecutive years.
• About three-fourths of last year’s freshmen, 75.5%, returned this fall.
• The number of new transfers increased 3.5% over last year to 1,175 students.
• The student population is diverse – about 36% identify as a minority – and it is almost evenly divided among men and women.
• Enrollment from the Southern Illinois region increased nearly 34% from the previous year.
• Almost 9,200 prospective students, about 16% more than the previous year, applied to the university.