So many new Sun Devils

Nearly 41,000 new students will join ASU when classes begin Thursday, according to the university.

Stunning stat: Nearly one in four students enrolled at ASU this semester is new to the university.

By the numbers: About 17,000 of the new Sun Devils are first-year freshmen, and more than 9,000 are from Arizona — a new record.

The bottom line: "It's built into our name — we are first and foremost here to serve the people of Arizona," ASU president Michael Crow said in a statement.