Applications to Northwestern from African-American and Latino students have increased “tremendously” this year, Associate Provost Michael Mills said Thursday.

Applications from Latino students are up 47.5 percent compared to last year, while the number of African-American students applying to Northwestern has grown by 20.3 percent, according to tentative data released by the university.

Overall, applications for the class of 2013 increased by less than one percent. The university registered a 32.3 percent increase in applications from students attending Chicago public high schools.

“Many people have worked very hard this year—including Northwestern students—to try to do a better job of outreach into these important communities, so this news is particularly gratifying,” Mills wrote in an e-mail.

Overall applications to Northwestern have increased by 0.7 percent. The School of Communication and Medill are the only two Northwestern schools that have registered drops in undergraduate applications — down 12.4 percent and 3.9 percent, respectively.

As of Jan. 8, the university had received 25,178 freshman applications. Last year, 25,013 students applied. According to Mills, this year’s numbers will likely grow slightly in the upcoming days and weeks, as the university continues to receive applications sent before the postmark deadline on January 1st.

“We view this year’s limited growth in applications as a major accomplishment, given the state of the economy,” Mills wrote.