University of Kentucky enrollment reaches record 36,141 students, first year class of 6,571

By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today

University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto announced record numbers of new students and the graduation rate during remarks before the school’s Board of Trustees on Friday.

“We know that what our students do here, and how successful they are at UK, will determine, in large measure, whether we are successful in advancing Kentucky,” Capilouto told the board. “Our mission, now more than at any time in our history, is to open our doors as wide as possible to more and more students, who will shape the future of this state. These numbers reflect our commitment to that ideal. These numbers reflect that we are Kentucky.”

Some of the details he provided board members included:

• For the first time, UK’s preliminary fall enrollment is over 36,000 students — 36,161 — about a seven percent increase over last year. Of that number, 25,774 are undergraduates, a 7.5% increase over the previous year.

• The first-year class of 6,571 is also a record high and a little more than a two percent increase over last year’s class.

• In addition, 1,162 transfer students represents the largest number of transfers in more than a decade and about a 16 percent rise over last year.

• A record 18.8 percent of UK’s first-year students come from underrepresented backgrounds as defined by state policymakers and more than 17 percent of the overall enrollment does as well, according to preliminary figures; 26.1 percent of UK’s first-year class is first generation.

• Even as the number of first-year Black students declined from last year by about 60 students, according to preliminary numbers, the number of undergraduates and overall number of Black students increased as did the numbers of Hispanic students and those identifying as two or more races.

• UK’s six-year graduation rate is now more than 71 percent, another record that places the university among the top 100 public, four-year institutions in America, based on the most recent data. UK’s four-year graduation rate is now a little more than 60 percent, almost 30 percentage points higher than it was 15 years ago. Preliminary Retention, the percentage of students returning for their second year at the university — also is a record 87.3 percent.

• Another modern record is the number of degrees and certificates awarded by UK — 9,545 for 2023-2024, according to preliminary numbers.

The post University of Kentucky enrollment reaches record 36,141 students, first year class of 6,571 appeared first on NKyTribune .