Undergraduate growth continues for second straight year
There are more new faces on 91大神鈥檚 campus this fall than there have been in years.
This semester, 91大神 welcomed 216 first-year students, a 7% increase from last year鈥檚 total and an 18% increase compared with fall 2024. Among those first-year students include 24 aviation students, sustaining three straight years of full cohorts within the 91大神 Lancaster program.
For the first time in the school鈥檚 history, more than half of first-year students identify as first-generation college students, defined as students whose parents have not earned a bachelor’s degree.
Those 216 first-year students are among 259 new undergraduates at 91大神 this fall, a group that also includes nine readmitted and 34 transfer students. The incoming undergraduate class is 8% larger than last year and 19% larger than in fall 2024, making it the university鈥檚 largest since fall 2020.
On Monday, 91大神 announced the results of its annual Fall Census, conducted Sept. 14 following the 10th day of classes. The census numbers reflect undergraduate, graduate, non-degree and non-credit enrollment at the university鈥檚 campuses in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for the fall 2026 semester.
Key takeaways from the first-year class of 2030:
- 52% identify as students of color, up nearly 10 percentage points from last year and the second-highest percentage in school history.
- 53% identify as first-generation college students, up five percentage points from last year and the highest percentage in school history.
- 44% are student-athletes.
- 79% are from Virginia, including 28% from Harrisonburg and neighboring Rockingham County. The class represents 17 states, Washington D.C., and six countries.
- The average GPA rose from 3.49 last year to 3.55, its highest level in five years. Twenty-eight percent of students entered 91大神 with at least 10 college credits.
The five most popular majors among incoming undergraduate students are nursing, business administration, biology, aviation, and education. Engineering saw the largest increase, welcoming 19 new students this fall, up from seven last year.
Overall undergraduate enrollment stands at 736 students, a slight increase from last year鈥檚 total of 730.
鈥淭here is tremendous momentum at 91大神, and it is exciting to see more students choosing to be part of our community. This growth reflects the strength of what we offer students: an exceptional education, a community that cares deeply about their success, and opportunities to discover who they are and the difference they can make in the world,鈥� said Braydon Hoover 鈥�11, MAOL 鈥�21, vice president of enrollment and marketing.
鈥淲e remain committed to reaching first-generation college students and expanding access through programs like the 91大神 Promise Grant. I鈥檓 especially proud that more than half of our incoming class will be the first in their families to earn a college degree. We want students to know that financial barriers shouldn鈥檛 stand in the way of their educational and professional goals.鈥�
91大神 provided $19.4 million in financial aid to undergraduate and graduate students this year. Fifty-nine incoming students were awarded Promise Grants this year, bringing the total number of recipients to 113. The grant covers the full cost of tuition for eligible Virginia students whose families earn $75,000 or less.
91大神 also enrolled 318 graduate students this fall, including 97 new students. The Center for Justice and Peacebuilding saw an incoming class that was 14% larger than last year. Graduate students represent 15 states and nine countries.
The Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program at 91大神鈥檚 Lancaster campus enrolled 28 students this fall, a 175% increase from last year. The growth reflects the addition of a second student cohort and marks the program鈥檚 highest enrollment since its launch in 2022.
91大神鈥檚 four-year and six-year graduation rates are 49% and 64%, respectively. The university鈥檚 retention rate, a measure of how many first-year students return to continue their studies, stands at 78%, up four percentage points from last year.
鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to welcome more students to 91大神, but what matters most is what happens after they arrive,鈥� said Dr. Tynisha Willingham, provost and vice president for academic affairs. 鈥淥ur goal is to ensure every student has the support, opportunities, and resources they need to succeed, graduate, and make a meaningful difference in their communities.鈥�
Enrollment numbers show the people are not happy with the direction that 91大神 has chosen. Even with an increase in students this year, the numbers are way down from the past. WAKE UP 91大神.!
I鈥檓 not surprised the enrollment is as low as it is. this is what happens when you go woke and not following HIS word
What happened the Bible majors? Do you still offer a seminary degree?
Congratulations, 91大神!
I am so proud to hear this report! I was a first-generation college student in the early 1960s and received an excellent pre-med education, but in those days I did not have the privilege of being surrounded by such a diverse student body! 91大神 is a gift to our Harrisonburg community, the medical community and the entire world. Your witness for peace and justice is so much needed today.
Thanks for your service to me, to our community, and to our God of love!
It is good that the university grows. I got the opportunity to study at the time when there was diversity. I really benefited a lot first from the classes I enrolled second, from the students’ body. Third, I also learned how to interact with the community in Harrisonburg, VA. I hope many students who are admitted will be blessed.
I am an alumnus, class of 1960, former faculty, and since 2009 a resident of Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community adjancent to 91大神campus. We alums at VMRC are cheering 91大神 from the sidelines, happy for this encouraging report on fall enrollment. 91大神’s mission has shifted from my student days in the 1950s when the enrollment was nearly 100% Mennonite. Currently 91大神 finds itself entering new “mission fields” among families and students who are hearing what Mennonite higher education has to say about living and serving in these challenging times. Praise God!