UNO Welcomes Another Record Class of First Year Students

For the fourth consecutive year, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is celebrating a record-setting incoming first year class.

New enrollment numbers released Tuesday, Sept. 4, show an incoming first year class of 2,151 students, which is a 2.4 percent increase from the year before and a new all-time high for the university. The incoming first year class is also the most diverse in campus history.

"We are all thrilled to welcome this record class of new Mavericks," Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., said. "The accomplishment underscores how our university continues to meet a significant need as a point of access to exceptional education and opportunities. It affirms the value of investing in our university as an educational and economic resource to Nebraska. While this incoming class is cause for great celebration, our overall enrollment shows we have ground to gain. We are committed to meeting these challenges head-on as we continue to grow the scope and spectrum of our programs."

Total enrollment stands at 15,432 students, of whom 12,427 are undergraduate students and 3,005 are graduate students. Overall enrollment is slightly down from the prior year, a decline that is primarily linked to last year’s record graduating class and small declines among international graduate students and undergraduate transfer students.

UNO saw gains in a variety of mission focus areas. Overall military-affiliated student enrollment increased. The new numbers show new highs for underrepresented students in both the undergraduate and graduate classes. Undergraduate enrollment of international students also increased from the year before.

Like previous years, many Mavericks – roughly four out of every 10 undergraduates – are first in their families to pursue higher education.

"As we celebrate another record graduating class, these figures are evidence that what we are doing is working, and frankly, helping us navigate headwinds impacting higher education institutions nationwide," Vice Chancellor for Student Success Dan Shipp said. "We still have our work cut out for us, but historic firsts, such as this year’s incoming class and a 100 percent first-to-second year retention in the 45-year-old Goodrich Scholarship Program, demonstrate we are on the right path."

Reflecting UNO’s role as an engine for skilled workforce development in Nebraska, 86 percent of this year’s undergraduate and graduate students call Nebraska home.

While graduate enrollment numbers are down from the year before, they are part of a multi-year growth trajectory. Graduate student enrollment is up 13% since 2012. This year’s enrollment data also shows a nearly 25 percent jump in graduate students taking entirely online courses compared to the year before.

Deborah Smith-Howell, associate vice chancellor for Academic Affairs and dean of Graduate Studies, said the numbers speak to a concerted effort to develop curricula for working professionals and specialized scholars alike.

"We have been very intentional about designing programs that enhance our students’ career options, increase their earning potential and prepare to them to be leaders in their fields and community," Smith-Howell said. "We provide the rigorous education and individual mentoring students need to meet their academic and professional goals."

The latest enrollment numbers show UNO continues to attract students from around the region. Iowa, Minnesota and Kansas remained the top three states - after Nebraska - sending undergraduate students to UNO.

University of Nebraska system-wide enrollment announcement