For the seventh year in a row, Hope College has enrolled a record number of students.

The college has 3,238 students this year, a dozen more than last year's record total of 3,226.  It is the 10th time in the past 11 years that Hope has set an overall enrollment record.

The total includes 808 first-time students, the third-highest total in the college's history.  Hope had a record number of first-time students last fall with 819.

The student body consists of 1,301 men and 1,937 women from 42 states and 30 foreign countries.

The enrollment by class, with last year's class in parentheses, is: freshmen, 830 (847); sophomores, 836 (745); juniors, 665 (718); seniors, 822 (825); and special students, 85 (91).

Students transferring to Hope from other colleges and universities total 71, compared with 57 in 2007. There are 95 students in off-campus programs, compared to 125 last year.

The largest representation is from Michigan with 2,249 students.  States represented with 10 or more students include Illinois, 388; Indiana, 120; Ohio, 76; Minnesota, 46; New York, 41; Wisconsin, 36; California, 32; New Jersey, 24; Iowa, 23; Colorado and Florida, 19 each; Pennsylvania and Texas, 12 each; and Missouri, 11.

Foreign countries represented in the student body include: Armenia, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Ghana, Haiti, India, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Vietnam and the West Bank.

Hope College was chartered in 1866 and is affiliated with the Reformed Church in America (RCA). The college offers courses in 90 majors leading to a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.