On a crisp fall day high above the constant bustle of Route 9, Framingham State University’s hilly campus teems with activity. Pedestrian traffic jams arise at the entrance to a centrally located academic building, as underclassmen fight against a swarm attempting to enter the building, rushing through the double doors to speed-walk to class.

Over the past five years, the university has seen nearly a 20 percent increase in the number of undergraduates. This fall there were 4,576 undergraduates and 1,930 graduate students.