Students walking on the SAC bridge, Belknap Campus

As the University of Louisville resumed a fully open campus and face-to-face classes for the fall 2021 semester, preliminary enrollment figures showed a 2% increase in graduate students over last year.

The graduate programs that saw the largest growth are business administration, human resource and organization development, educational administration, law and nursing. More than 6,450 graduate students are enrolled for fall 2021.

Conversely, following national trends, the preliminary number of first-time undergraduate degree-seeking students enrolled for fall dropped 6% to 2,693.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has been life-altering for so many, and we are encouraged that more students are seeking post-graduate-level degrees,” said Neeli Bendapudi, UofL’s president. “It is such a thrill to see a vibrant campus once again, and we are confident of a bright future for all our students.”

For the incoming undergraduate class, the five most popular majors are engineering, business, education, biology and psychology. Enrollment in public health programs for both undergraduate and graduate students also continues to be strong with a 19% increase since 2019.

The incoming undergraduate class remains diverse, with almost 20% of students identifying as African American or multiracial, and 7% as Latino.

Here is a snapshot of the 2021 first-time freshman class:

  • 47.6% have some college credits
  • 20.24% are African American or identify as multiracial
  • 7.06% are Hispanic/Latino
  • 64.05% live on campus
  • 33.05% are first-generation college students
  • 25.64 is the average ACT score
  • 3.63 is the average high school grade-point average, based on a 4.0 scale
  • 23.72% are from outside Kentucky
  • 38 states are represented
  • 246 are part-time