UConn applications surpass 50,000 for first time
Enrollment in decline elsewhere
The University of Connecticut has hit a new milestone this year — surpassing 50,000 applications for the first time ever.
According to a press release from the university, more than 56,700 people have sent in applications to attend the main campus in Storrs or one of the four other satellite locations in Hartford, Stamford, Avery Point in Groton and Waterbury.
Last year, the school received about 48,000 applications.
The incoming class of first-year students is expected to be around 4,350 at the Storrs campus alone. The increase in interest comes at a time when the number of college-age students has decreased across the country and many institutions of higher learning have reported declining applications.
“When I speak with other university presidents, many say that these trends have made it more difficult for their institutions to attract large applicant pools,” UConn President Radenka Maric said, in the press release. “We are proud that UConn’s reputation for academic excellence continues to draw so many talented students each year.”
While the issue is well documented nationwide, the situation in Connecticut is not as cut and dry, according to nonprofit A Better Connecticut Institute.
In a study published this month, they found that college-age students in the state actually increased between 2010 and 2020 by about 2 percent. By comparison, the same population decreased by 7 percent across the country during the same decade.
Additionally, Better Connecticut noted how enrollment at UConn is booming, while the other four state universities and 12 community colleges that make up the core of the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities system are seeing declining applications and enrollment.
“These facts suggest that factors such as legislative and executive branch priorities and the inability of the CSCU administration to secure additional state investment in the system in line with investments in UConn’s regional campuses are the cause of CSCU’s enrollment crisis,” the study concluded.
Overall, the number of first-year student applications to the Storrs campus has increased 18 percent in the past two years. The four other UConn campuses have outpaced that mark, increasing their application total by 21.5 percent over the same timeframe.
By the time the fall semester begins, school officials are expecting almost 24,500 undergraduates across all campuses, with the vast majority — 19,600 — at the Storrs location. Seven out of every 10 students who attend the university are Connecticut residents, according to the press release.
“Demand for UConn’s programs and opportunities continues to be strong as represented by the growth in applications each year, and especially by the impressive numbers in the current cycle,” said Vern Granger, UConn’s director of undergraduate admissions, in the press release. “We’ve seen positive momentum generated by last year’s men’s basketball championship and our top 10 ranking by the Wall Street Journal, both of which have built on UConn’s longstanding academic reputation and attractiveness to potential students.”
Acceptance letters will begin going out around March 1.
Applicants who applied for financial aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form can expect to receive confirmation much later, due to expected delays.
“UConn expects to receive the FAFSA data and send the financial aid offers to admitted students well before the May 1 deadline to accept the enrollment invitation,” read the press release. “Since the FAFSA delays affect all institutions, the issue will not disadvantage UConn’s applicants more than it would at other colleges or universities they may be considering.”
Almost 70 percent of UConn students receive financial aid in the form of grants and scholarships and more than $236 million in gift aid has been made available in the current fiscal year, according to the press release.
The areas of study expected to expand this fall due to growing enrollment are nursing and fine arts. The school typically receives many applications for the always popular fields of business, engineering and liberal arts.