MSU's enrollment decreased slightly from the 2002-03 year, despite an almost record level of applicants.

The university received about 25,000 first-time undergraduate applicants for fall 2003, but the 44,542 students currently attending MSU are almost 400 students less than last year's total enrollment.

Despite the decrease, David Byelich, MSU's director of the Office of Planning and Budgets, said this year's enrollment remains at a level where the university can optimize students' academic performance.

"What we tried to do is remain stable at the 44,000 to 43,000 level," he said.

MSU's enrollment has fluctuated between 43,000 and 45,000 students for the past five years.

The enrollment figures were released to the public late last week.

Pamela Horne, assistant to the provost for enrollment management and director of admissions, said university officials had planned on decreasing enrollment to about 44,000, but the state's budgetary problems might affect MSU's long-term enrollment planning.

"All of this has to be looked at in terms of the budget and what the balance is going to be between tuition revenue and state revenue," she said.

"You can't separate one from the other."

Horne said MSU officials will begin planning for next year's fall enrollment later this month.

Asian and Pacific Islanders and Chicanos and Latinos are enrolled at a record level this year, with 2,284 Asian and Pacific Islanders and 1,246 Chicanos and Latinos.

MSU has 7,421 minority students - representing 16.7 percent of the student body.

Native Americans are by far the least-represented minority at the university with 287 students enrolled.

Despite the numerical highs, MSU's incoming freshman class decreased in each of the four racial ethnic categories - black, Asian and Pacific Islander, Native American and Chicano and Latino.

Blacks were the biggest decrease in incoming students, dropping 58 students to 649 students in 2003.

Horne said it is common for enrollment levels to vary from year to year.

"Overall, there has been growth," she said.

"The proportion of various ethnic groups this year is simply a matter of natural fluctuations."

Lifelong education student Nichole Chou said the number of applicants has to be assessed when determining if the university is doing a good job recruiting minorities.

"I wonder if fewer minorities applied," she said, adding that students might be thwarted from MSU because of its riot reputation.

"Maybe parents are urging them to go somewhere else more academic."

Staff writer Meghan Gilbert contributed to this report.