Total enrollment at the Kennedy School of Government is up from 253 students in November 1976 to 305 this month, an increase of 21 per cent, a spokesman for the school said yesterday.

This enrollment increase follows a 32 percent increase in the previous year, and reflects agressive efforts by the school to recruit women and members of minority groups, Peter B. Zimmerman '68, assistant dean of the Kennedy School, said yesterday.

As more perspective applicants become familiar with the Kennedy School, the pool of qualified applicants increases, Zimmerman added.

The financial report to the Board of overseerers for the fiscal year 1976-1977 reported a 56.2 per cent increase in enrollment at the Kennedy School between November 1975 and November 1976.

The Kennedy School changed its method of tabulating enrollment figures in 1975, resulting in the inflated figure in that report, Zimmerman said yesterday. Under the present tabulation method, the enrollment increase at the Kennedy School between November 1975 and November 1976 should read 32 per cent, Zimmerman added.

The school has not decided the number of applicants to admit next year, Zimmerman added.

Faculty opinion will play a major role in deciding the size of next year's class, Zimmerman said. Many faculty members hope to preserve the school's characteristic "sense of closeness" after moving to a new building on Boylston St. new under construction, he added.

Next year's class size also depends on progress made toward completion of the new building, scheduled for use by next fall, Zimmerman said.

"There is more space in the new building, but how that space is used has not been decided," Zimmerman added.