University of Iowa students will see more new faces than in past years.

The number of people who have applied to the UI has steadily increased over the last several years.

In 2012, the UI had 19,430 applicants, and in 2013, there were 21,644 applicants. There were 23,850 applicants in 2014.

“Students and families are looking wider for the best fit for their education,” said Michael Barron, the UI assistant provost for enrollment management and the executive director of Admissions.

Barron said because the UI publishes basic admission standards — which many colleges don’t — the admission rate is high.

For the fall of 2013, 93 percent of Iowa residents and 94 percent of nonresidents were offered admission, although Iowa residents are given the highest priority.

From 2012 to 2014, the number of Iowa resident applicants increased from 4,309 to 4,751. For nonresidents, the number of applicants increased from 11,686 to 14,756 (the figures do not include international students).

With the recently passed performance-based funding formula, 60 percent of state allocations will be based on the enrollment numbers of Iowa residents, 15 percent for progress and attainment, 10 percent for access, 5 percent for sponsored research, 5 percent weighted for graduate and professional students, and 5 percent on customized requirements set by the state Board of Regents.

Barron said admission requirements at the UI are lower for Iowa residents, and he noted that they have many other college options in the state.

This past fall, Iowa State University had the most undergraduate resident students at 18,009. The UI had 10,430 resident students, and the University of Northern Iowa had 9,411.

Prospective college students are applying to more colleges, and the UI has seen an increase in the number of college visits in recent years. This past year the UI had 27,000 admission visitors.

Strong relationships with high schools in Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, along with shifts towards electronic communication, have kept nonresident applications up, Barron said.

“I believe that the UI offers a high quality education that students recognize,” he said.

Some students agree.

“It’s the perfect university for me,” said incoming UI freshman Angel Alicea, a Chicago resident. “I chose Iowa because it offers a quality education. Not to mention the affordability and beautiful scenery of Iowa City.”

Another factor some students looked for were aesthetics.

“The library looks like the future,” said incoming freshman Callum Duff, another Illinois resident. “The Seamans Center fits my description of a perfect learning environment as well.”

The UI’s reputation as a reputable writing school has also attracted students.

Incoming freshman Taylor Claman, an Iowa resident, has long wanted to be in the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. After visiting the campus, she knew the UI was the right school for her.

“Every college I looked at after that point just seemed like a step down from the UI,” she said.