The University has garnered record enrollment for Fall 2020, attributable in part to an increase in new master’s level students.
Total preliminary enrollment comes in at 47,101 students, a 2.1 percent increase over Fall 2019 final enrollment. UH master’s programs saw a 9.7 percent jump in the overall number of people enrolled, with a near 25 percent increase in new master’s program students.
“Despite unprecedented circumstances, UH is continuing to meet our mission of making our academic programs accessible to academically strong students from a diversity of backgrounds,” said Provost Paula Myrick Short in a press release.
Nationally recognized for its diverse student body, the University’s Fall 2020 enrollment reflects an increase in diversity. Enrollment for new Black master’s students rose by 61.7 percent, for multiracial master’s students by 110 percent and for new Hispanic master’s students by 49.6 percent.
While the University has experienced an overall increase in enrollment, it also saw a 7 percent decrease in the number of first-time college students.
“Our enrollment trends indicate students transitioning to college for the first time may have more hesitation in committing to their original college plan during the pandemic, while transfer and master level students are using it as an opportunity to build upon their credentials,” said Richard Walker, vice president of student affairs and enrollment services, in a press release.
The formal announcement comes after President Renu Khator sent out a tweet on Sept. 10 saying that the University’s enrollment had reached the highest in its history.