Twelve percent of the 1,427 students who applied to Ashesi this year were enrolled into our freshman class of 2017, making this the most competitive admissions season yet. Last year, 21 percent of applicants to Ashesi were admitted into the university. Ashesi’s applicant pool grew by 74 percent as compared to last year. 
With Ashesi gaining strong recognition outside of Ghana, and through partnerships with organisations and outreach to various African countries, including Liberia, Kenya, Sierra Leone and Gambia, applications from international students increased by 40 percent this year. International students make up 15 percent of the Class of 2017, with Ashesi welcoming its first students from Zimbabwe and Lesotho.
This year's freshman class has an average aggregate of 9 for the West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Exam (WASSCE). The highest possible score for the WASSCE is a 6, the lowest university qualifying grade is a 36, and the lowest possible score is 54.
Scholarships were a big factor for many applicants, and this year Ashesi will spend over $540,000 on financial assistance to students, with funding from The MasterCard Foundation, Ashesi University Foundation and the university. 48 percent of the class received scholarships and other financial assistance.
A strong outreach effort to more women this year, also helped move our female population for the freshman class to 49 percent, up from 46 percent last year.
The Class of 2017 made it through the most rigorous admissions season ever at Ashesi, and has already demonstrated that it is ready to take on the test of Ashesi’s curriculum and fully engage the university’s learning environment. We are excited to welcome all the class’ men and women to our community!