A record 15,908 students are attending UND this fall, marking the University’s second consecutive all-time enrollment high and seventh straight year of growth.
Behind that number are gains in undergraduate enrollment, strong retention and several of the largest freshman classes in UND history.
Here’s a closer look at what is driving UND’s record enrollment.
More students choosing UND
Much of the growth came at the undergraduate level, where enrollment increased by 566 students, or 7.45%, over last year.
UND also now has its first-, third- and fourth-largest freshman classes in University history enrolled.
For Janelle Kilgore, vice provost for Strategic Enrollment Management, those numbers suggest that students are finding at UND both the education and the opportunities they’re looking for.
“I think it really shows that UND is aligning with students’ educational goals and their future career goals,” Kilgore said.
Kilgore said new academic offerings, industry partnerships and greater collaboration across the University are giving students more opportunities to see themselves at UND.
“They’re looking at us for very specific reasons, and at the end of the day, folks go to college so they can get a job,” she said. “I think from that standpoint, they’re seeing the value in our education and the connections that we have with industry partners to help them get where they want to go.”
That growth has continued even as UND capped freshman enrollment in commercial aviation, one of the University’s most recognizable and in-demand programs, Kilgore noted.
She also pointed to greater collaboration across academics, Student Affairs and other areas of the University as another factor in the University’s momentum.
“There’s a lot more collaboration within academics, Student Affairs and all the different units right now, and everybody’s driving toward the goal of student success,” she said. “Students are seeing all those new opportunities and that continued elevation of where UND stands in the industry market.”
Records within records
The overall enrollment record includes milestones among several groups of UND students.
UND welcomed 384 new freshmen to the Honors Program this fall, the largest incoming Honors class in University history.
“Having record enrollment within our Honors Program is significant,” Kilgore said. “It just shows that students want to learn a little bit differently. They want to have more discussion-based conversations, more hands-on experiences and things like that.”
This year’s freshman class also includes 726 Presidential Scholars. And across the University, UND enrolled a record 2,015 military-affiliated students, the largest number in University history. Another 27 students are participating as North Dakota Para-to-Teacher students.
Getting students here — and keeping them here
Growth depends not only on attracting new students but also on keeping the students who are already here. UND’s first-to-second-year retention rate stands at 82.04% this fall, meaning more than four out of every five students returned for their second year.
Kilgore said recruitment and retention are closely linked.
“Our greatest retention tool is our recruitment,” she said. “We want to make sure that we recruit students that we know will be successful at UND.”
And once they’ve arrived, their experiences both in and out of the classroom help keep them at the University, she said.
“Students are having great experiences in their academic classes. They’re having great experiences within student life and across all these different facets of the University.”
For Kilgore, that experience extends beyond simply keeping students enrolled.
“UND is a place where they can come, learn and grow,” she said. “They’re going to make mistakes, and then we’re here to help guide them through that next step of the process. It’s just all part of the in- and out-of-classroom education at the University.”
And that emphasis on the student experience also shapes how Eric Link, UND provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, views the University’s continued growth.
“The record enrollment this fall signals that the University of North Dakota’s commitment to quality academic programs and an unwavering dedication to student opportunity and success remain hallmarks of the institution,” Link said.
He continued: “The growth of the institution for the seventh consecutive year is remarkable not because of the growing number of students across North Dakota and beyond who are choosing to study at UND, but because of what it says about the spirit of learning, innovation, and community that is built into every corner of our campus.”