The University could expect attendance from even more students from Fairfax County in the future in response to the county's rapid population increase, which the University's Weldon Cooper Center reported in a recent provisional estimate.
According to the Cooper Center's 2002 estimate, Fairfax County's population has reached an all-time high of 1,006,300 residents.
This is the first time in Virginia's history that the population of a single locality is estimated to be over one million residents.
John Knapp, research director for business and economics at the Cooper Center, attributed the large population increase to several factors.
"Originally, the force of growth stemmed directly from the county's close proximity to the nation's capital," Knapp said. "Additionally, federal government was responsible for an influx in highly skilled people which served as a magnet for industries."
According to statistics run by the Institution of Assessment and Studies at the University, approximately a quarter of all in-state undergraduate students are from Fairfax County -- 2,840 students.
"Without a doubt, there are more students from Fairfax County than any other county in Virginia," Director of Institutional Studies George Stovall said.
According to Knapp, there are multiple reasons for the large number of Fairfax County students at the University.
"Fairfax County is one of the most affluent counties in the state and your probability of going to college goes up if you are from a more affluent area," Knapp said. "I would assume there is a good number of University alumni from that area that would be interested in sending their children here."
Knapp also said that Fairfax County has higher quality schools than other areas.
Dean of Admissions John A. Blackburn said he anticipates the number of University students from Fairfax County will continue to grow.
"I haven't seen the projections from other parts of Virginia, but if Fairfax continues to grow this way, it is a natural assumption that the number of University students from there will also continue to grow," Blackburn said. "We have to see what happens in the rest of the state."
The Cooper Center's estimate also shows that a number of rural counties and smaller cities are losing residents.
Fairfax County's population is more than twice the 428,400 population of the state's second-largest locality, the city of Virginia Beach.
The Cooper Center's estimate also reported that the Charlottesville region is the state's second fastest growing metro area.
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