First Year and Graduate Students Drive Enrollment Growth

Enrollment at UNT Dallas set a record high for new incoming students in the Fall 2023 semester. The increase was driven by a 36% rise in First-Time-In-College [FTIC] students and an 81% jump in graduate student enrollment, compared to Fall 2022.

The new record was achieved through a combination of four categories: undergraduate, graduate, law, and transfer student enrollment. The impressive growth followed an expanded recruitment strategy that included additional community outreach.  

Specifically, here are the Fall 2023 semester enrollment numbers and year-over-year percentage increases from Fall 2022:

• New First Year: 478, Up 36%
• Total Undergraduate Students: 3,049, Up 1%
• Graduate Students: 362, Up 81%
• New & Continuing Law Students: 417, Up 10%
• Transfer Students, Up 10%
• Total Enrollment: 3,828, Up 3%

"Everyone at UNT Dallas has the ability to impact enrollment, and I am proud of how UNT Dallas faculty and staff have come together towards a common goal of equitably increasing student enrollment,” said Dr. Jose da Silva, UNT Dallas Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. “I am looking forward to our continued work in this effort." 

Dr. da Silva noted the number of new undergraduate applications to UNT Dallas also set a new record, jumping 37% over the university’s previous high, mirroring almost exactly the number of new freshmen enrolled. And the number of credit hours taken by freshmen has risen significantly, meaning more first-year students are enrolling full-time compared to previous years.

The Fall 2023 enrollment gains parallel the physical growth on the 268-acre UNT Dallas campus in southern Dallas. An innovative, $100 million STEM building is under construction that will offer multiple programs for healthcare careers, including pathways to medical school. Plans are in the works to build a state-of-the-art Dallas Police Academy on campus. Additional student housing and athletic facilities are also part of the university’s long-term commitment to serving its students and community.

The enrollment increases at all levels; innovative, new buildings for instruction and study; and a variety of academic programs offered by the four schools within UNT Dallas follow national recognition for the university.

UNT Dallas scored highest in North Texas on the most recent rankings and ratings of public, four-year colleges and universities by U.S. News & World Report, Money and Washington Monthly. The evaluations noted UNT Dallas’s affordable tuition, academic rigor, diversity and low student debt.

As the only public, four-year university in the city of Dallas, UNT Dallas offers a unique combination of educational excellence, value, and student experience, shaping the workforce of the future and the leaders of tomorrow.