Brock University officials expect to welcome a record number of students this fall, with total enrolment likely to top 18,000 for the first time in the school’s history.

Final numbers for the new fall term will not be known until all registrations are completed in mid-September. But the enrolment will include nearly 4,000 full-time first-year students, a near record.

The overall enrolment figure includes full-time and part-time, graduates and undergraduates, and teacher education students.

Beyond the total numbers, there have also been other encouraging signs in this incoming class.

For instance, an increasing percentage of confirmed first-year admits listed Brock as their first-choice preferred university. The average entering grade for first-year students also rose again this year.

While enrolments are strong in all Faculties, Brock continues to be a draw particularly in its unique co-op, concurrent education and applied health sciences programs.