UW First-Time Student Enrollment Grows 4.7 Percent, Transfers Up 6 Percent

Driven by significant increases in students from outside the state, the University of Wyoming has recorded a 4.7 percent increase in its freshman class while also seeing a 6.0 percent increase in new transfer students.

At the same time, preliminary numbers indicate that UW has set a record for the number of degrees granted in the past academic year, with an unofficial total of 3,135 students earning diplomas and certificates in 2025-26.

The fall 2026 semester enrollment numbers, presented to the UW Board of Trustees today (Thursday), represent an acceleration from the 0.7 percent increase in first-time students recorded in fall 2025 and reverse a 6.5 percent decline in new transfer students last fall. On the 15th day of the new semester, the total of new first-time students reached 1,512 -- up from 1,444 last year -- while the number of new transfer students jumped to 818 from 772.

The 15-day census is used to calculate UW’s official reported enrollment figures because it falls after the class drop/add deadlines and after the first tuition and fee payment is due.

“These increases show a growing awareness regionally, nationally and internationally of the incredible value and opportunities available at Wyoming’s university,” President Shane Reeves says. “We’re so excited to welcome our new Cowgirls and Cowboys, even as we have sent off what looks to be the largest number of graduates in the university’s history over the past year.”

The new first-time class includes 620 students from outside Wyoming, a whopping 19.9 percent increase from last year’s 517. That more than offset a 3.8 percent dip in the number of first-time students from Wyoming, from 927 last year -- the second-largest class of Wyoming freshmen in the past 17 years -- to 892 this fall.

The overall increase in new transfer students came from both inside and outside Wyoming. The in-state transfer student number grew from 574 last year to 599 this fall -- a 4.4 percent increase -- while nonresident transfers jumped 10.6 percent, from 198 to 219.

Graduate student numbers declined slightly, from 2,681 to 2,571.

The total number of students who graduated from the university over the past year won’t be finalized until October, but the unofficial, preliminary figure of 3,135 eclipses the official record of 3,059 degrees granted in the 2022-23 academic year.

The large graduating class was a significant factor in a slight decrease in UW’s overall enrollment this fall. The total headcount of UW students on the 15th day of classes was 10,630, down 1.7 percent from the 10,819 total at the same time last year.

The number of UW students pursuing degrees online increased by 1.1 percent, from 2,058 last fall to 2,081 this semester.

“The national trend is for growth in online programs, and we expect that will continue to be the case for UW. At the same time, we offer an incredible residential student experience, and we are prioritizing on-campus student recruitment,” says Shelley Dodd, interim vice provost for enrollment management. “Our amazing new residence halls and dining facility, along with an increasingly vibrant campus atmosphere, are certainly helping us in those efforts.”

For additional information or questions about UW enrollment, call Dodd at (307) 766-4273 or email shelley@uwyo.edu. Students interested in scheduling campus visits should call UW’s Office of Admissions at (307) 766-5160 or go online at www.uwyo.edu/visit.