Student Numbers Bump Up as Academic Year Gets Underway at State Universities

As the new academic year gets underway across Connecticut colleges and universities, the University of Connecticut is welcoming its largest incoming freshman class in its history, according to school officials.  A record 4,715 new first-year students in the class of 2029 will be enrolled in classes at the Storrs campus, an increase from last year’s figure of about 4,500. Another 1,850 students are set to be enrolled across the Stamford, Hartford, Waterbury and Avery Point campuses.

 At the state’s four regional universities, part of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system, also achieved numbers to be proud of.

Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven welcomed nearly 900 new residential students to campus this past weekend. A record number of students opted to live on campus this year at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain. It’s estimated that 2,500 students are living on campus, an increase of 200 from last year.

At Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, the new academic year and the Class of 2029 includes 1,173 new students – 827 incoming freshmen, and 346 transfer students. Fall semester classes will begin on Tuesday, Aug. 26, following Welcome Weekend from Friday, Aug. 22, through Monday, Aug. 25.

On Thursday, Aug. 28 a Student Resource and Employment Fair on the Midtown campus quadrangle will be a highlight, where students will be introduced to the many offices that will provide services to them during their time as students. They’ll also be able to find out about on-campus job opportunities, school officials explained.

Earlier this year, the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system announced in February that the Spring 2025 Preliminary Census Report showed that total student enrollment at CT State Community College (CT State) and the four Connecticut State Universities (CSUs) increased by 6.2 percent over the Spring 2024 semester. Central posted the second highest individual increase overall at 8.3 percent, just behind Western’s 10.1 percent.

The uptick in enrollment throughout the 2024 to 2025 academic year is attributed by school officials to targeted recruitment efforts, collective work in eliminating barriers to higher education, and continuing to meet the evolving needs of its student population.

Individual student enrollment increases at CSU institutions and CT State were as follows:

• Central Connecticut State University: 8.3 percent

• Eastern Connecticut State University: 6.8 percent

• Southern Connecticut State University: 3.1 percent

• Western Connecticut State University: 10.1 percent

Comprehensive data for the 2025-26 academic year, just underway this week, are not yet available.