MOUNTAIN LAKES — Michael Lukowski is among the 5,361 students who make up the University of Utah’s Class of 2025 – the largest freshmen class in school history. Lukowski’s major is listed as Electrical Engg BEE.
Enrollment of first-time freshmen increased 19.6% from fall 2020 and is the first class of over 5,000 students at the U. Last fall, first-time freshmen increased 5.5%.
“This is an incredible and exciting milestone for the University of Utah,” Taylor Randall, university president. “It speaks to the value and quality we offer and reflects our solid reputation as one of the nation’s top public research universities. I am pleased to welcome all our students-new and continuing-and look forward to seeing all they will accomplish at the U.”
Overall enrollment increased 4.2% to 34,424-up from 33,047 in fall 2020. The number of new transfer students also increased, up 2.3% to 1,448. The university also saw record highs in undergraduate and graduate enrollment with graduate students up 2.3% and undergraduates up 4.8%.
“We are excited to welcome our largest class to Imagine U,” said Dan Reed, senior vice president of Academic Affairs. “The enthusiasm of our faculty, staff, and students for the fall educational experience is extraordinary.”
The U also enrolled historically high numbers of domestic students of color, international students, and both in-state and out-of-state students.
Steve Robinson, senior associate vice president for Enrollment Management, attributes the tremendous growth to recognition of the quality of a degree from the U, a new scholarship award strategy, and extensive outreach to new students.
“The fact that we continued to significantly grow our enrollment throughout a pandemic demonstrates that we are succeeding in expanding access to the U,” said Robinson. “It’s clear the U continues to be an academic destination, not only in Utah but nationally and increasingly internationally as well.”
This is the first-class admitted to the U since launching a two-year pilot study on a test-optional admissions process. Robinson said most students still chose to submit a test score as part of their application and that the average GPA remained about the same.
“This tells us that, so far, going test-optional has not impacted the academic preparation of our student applicants,” said Robinson. “As a top research institution and a leader of our state, we continue to have a competitive admissions process which attracts those ready for transformative, engaging learning experiences.”
About the U
The University of Utah, located in Salt Lake City in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains, is the flagship institution of higher learning in Utah. Founded in 1850, it serves over 32,000 students from across the U.S. and the world. With over 100 major subjects at the undergraduate level and more than 90 major fields of study at the graduate level, including law and medicine, the university prepares students to live and compete in the global workplace. In 2019, the university was selected as a new member of the Association of American Universities-an invitation-only, the prestigious group of 65 leading research institutions marked by excellence in academic expertise and research impact, student success, and securing resources in support of core missions. Known for its proximity to seven world-class ski resorts within 40 minutes of campus, the U encourages an active, holistic lifestyle, innovation, and collaborative thinking to engage students, faculty, and business leaders.
