Governor Kathy Hochul announced overall enrollment gains for the second year in a row across the State University of New York colleges and universities, including increases in first-year undergraduate enrollment. The results follow the state’s ongoing historic investments in SUNY’s ambitious agenda and mark the first time in 15 years that all SUNY sectors have seen back-to-back increases in overall enrollment.
“As Governor, I have remained committed to increasing access to our colleges and universities — from removing financial barriers and expanding our tuition assistance program to launching SUNY’s first ever direct admissions program,” Governor Hochul said. “Every New Yorker deserves the opportunity to pursue higher education, and I look forward to building on this progress to ensure even more students can enroll at one of our world class institutions.”
Fall 2024 enrollment systemwide was up 2.3 percent, compared with Fall 2023, for a total of 376,155 students across the system. Last year, enrollment was up 1.1 percent, year over year, the first increase in a decade.
| OVERALL ENROLLMENT
Percent Change |
||
| Fall 2023 to Fall 2024 | Fall 2022 to Fall 2024 | |
| SUNY-Wide | +2.3% | +3.4% |
| State-Operated | +2.7% | +3.3% |
| Doctoral | +2.2% | +2.4% |
| Comprehensive | +2.7% | +3.2% |
| Technology | +5.0% | +7.6% |
| Community Colleges | +1.9% | +3.7% |
In addition, first-year undergraduate enrollment was up at SUNY by 0.9 percent over Fall 2023. In stark contrast, during the same time period, nationwide first-year undergraduate enrollment results declined by 5 percent, according to a recent report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, amidst significant headwinds created by substantial delays and technical setbacks in the U.S. Education Department’s implementation of the updated Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Among incoming first-year undergraduates, SUNY reported increases in the share of Pell recipients (an indicator of students from low-income backgrounds) from 46.7 percent in Fall 2023 to 49.7 percent in Fall 2024, and in students who are under-represented by race/ethnicity from 35.7 percent in Fall 2023 to 36.5 percent in Fall 2024. These trends are particularly important in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling on race-conscious college admissions.
SUNY’s enrollment data can be found here.
SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, “There is a place at SUNY for every New Yorker, and we are proud that thanks to Governor Hochul’s leadership more and more students are choosing SUNY’s extraordinary value and academic excellence. SUNY is on the move, expanding academic success, research innovation, student support, and opportunities for workforce development and upward mobility. We look forward to continuing this work in partnership with Governor Hochul, the legislature, and our partners at the local, state, and federal levels.”
