Fall semester classes began Monday, Aug. 29 at the University of Connecticut, and more than a quarter of the 4,075 students are the first in their families to attend college, according to UConn Today.
About 26.5% of the incoming first-year Storrs students include Black, Hispanic, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, American Indian, and Alaska native students.
“UConn is experiencing great success in attracting outstanding students from increasingly diverse backgrounds,” Nathan Fuerst told UConn Today. Fuerst is UConn’s vice president for enrollment planning and management. “Students are drawn to the high-quality education through innovative academic programs and the vibrant undergraduate experience, which drives them toward success during their time at UConn and in their careers.”
One incoming student said he was attracted to UConn’s computer engineering program. After participating in the School of Engineering’s Summer BRIDGE Program, he said the lessons he learned will be valuable throughout his time at UConn.
Another student who also completed the BRIDGE program plans to design apps and create websites for a tech company after graduation, and potentially continue to graduate school.
About 56% of the Storrs first-year students are Connecticut residents; overall, with regional campuses included, almost 68% of the first-year students hail from in-state. They come from 158 of the state’s 169 towns and cities, and from 42 states and 38 countries.
About 34% of the incoming first-year Storrs students are from other states, the same percentage as in 2021; and about 9% are from other nations, up from 6% last year and returning to normal pre-pandemic levels.
“We continue to focus on ways to reduce barriers to a UConn education, and our evaluation of admission applications is another example of that,” said Vern Granger, UConn’s director of undergraduate admissions. “Our holistic review of applications is not dependent on any single factor, like a standardized test score, which provides us the opportunity to build an amazing class of students that supports our mission of embracing diversity and cultivating leadership.”
According to a recent report by CTLatino News dot com, the online news of Connecticut’s Latinos, while UConn at Stamford is the only four-year Hispanic Serving Institution qualifier, a recent Excelencia in Education report lists several “emerging” institutions. In 2019, the UConn branch in Waterbury was 18.8 percent Hispanic and the Hartford branch was 18.5 percent, both approaching HSI status.
Bridgeport University was 22 percent and Goodwin College at 24.7 percent in East Hartford was already considered an HSI campus by the metrics used by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. UConn at Storrs also reported that their Hispanic enrollment was increasing.
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