HILO, Hawaii: Once again, enrollment at the University of Hawaii at Hilo has reached another record high, as the Fall 2012 count eclipsed last year’s number.

University officials say preliminary opening credit enrollment figures show UH Hilo’s enrollment grew by 23 students or 0.6% to 4,172 compared to 4,149 a year ago.

“We’re pleased that growing numbers of students are enrolling at UH Hilo, which we believe validates the quality of our programs, faculty and staff,” said Chancellor Don Straney in a media release. “We look forward to working with these students to help them achieve their educational goals.”

UH-Hilo’s increase mirrors a system wide trend, where 60,633 students have enrolled, surpassing fall 2011’s record enrollment of 60,519 by 114 students, or 0.2 percent.

“We’re excited to see our enrollment continue to grow throughout the University of Hawai‘i System as it shows the value placed in the pursuit of higher education,” said UH Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs/Provost Linda Johnsrud. “Now that we have these students in the door, we are doing our best to make sure they stay in college and graduate on time. We continue to increase student aid and educate students about the steps they need to take and the resources available to them to ensure they succeed.”

Enrollment at the UH Community Colleges decreased slightly with 34,118 enrolled at the seven campuses, a decrease of 240 students or 0.7 percent from last fall. Hawaii Community College recorded 3,686 students, a decrease of 247 or 6.3 percent.

UH-Hilo officials say students of Native Hawaiian ancestry total 992 or 23.7% of the overall student body. The Fall 2012 figures show women comprise 59% of UH Hilo’s total enrollment, while men account for just over 40%. Nearly 7 out of every 10 students or 2,898 come from Hawai`i and 30% or 1,274 are from out-of-state.