Fall of 2024 brought the largest freshman class to the University of Idaho in history with 2,025 first-time students. A press release from the University confirmed this is the third year in a row the record was broken.
The overall student enrollment for the semester is 12,286 students, an increase of 3.7% from Fall 2023. This is the seventh consecutive semester of enrollment growth at UI.
The total enrollment excluding dual credit high school students is up 5.1% with 10,578 students. International undergraduate student enrollment has increased by 33.9%.
The national issue of enrollment cliffs is predicted to begin in the near future, when there was a decline in birth rates during the 2008 housing recession. Despite this, UI has continued growing and has been named the best value public university in the west by U.S. News and World Report for the fifth year in a row.
In October of 2023, Idaho Governor Brad Little signed the proclamation of the Launch Scholarship. There are 747 freshmen recipients of the new Idaho Launch scholarship, a grant program that provides students with a one-time award that will cover up to 80% of their tuition and fees or a maximum of $8,000.
The eligibility of this grant is to be an Idaho resident and have graduated from an accredited Idaho high school or equivalent program. Since it relies on a first come first serve basis, any student who applied early was able to take advantage.
In the same press release from the University, President Scott Green said, “The value of a U of I education is well known and continues to attract highly qualified students who engage in the Vandal Experience to the benefit not only for themselves but also the workforce.”
Allyssa Dotson can be reached at [email protected].