Dominican University Welcomes Largest Freshman Class for Third Year in a Row

River Forest, IL—Dominican University is proud to announce its largest freshman class for the third consecutive year.

The university began the 2024-25 academic year by welcoming 695 first-year students, a new record for the university, which was established in 1901 and opened in River Forest in 1922. This is a 6% increase over last fall’s first-year enrollment total.

DU has experienced record-setting first-year enrollment since the fall of 2022, when, for the first time, it welcomed 600 freshmen. The following year, this enrollment grew to 651 first-year students.

This year’s growth is especially meaningful given the challenges of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process, which delayed financial aid packages to prospective students across the country and impacted enrollment at many small colleges, noted Dominican University President Dr. Glena G. Temple.

“Dominican not only weathered these uncertainties, but saw our expectations exceeded,” she said. “This is a real testament to our reputation as a premier, top-ranking Catholic university, and I am proud that so many students recognize that a Dominican education is valuable and as relevant as ever—even in these constantly changing and challenging times.”

Dominican has also seen increases within its transfer student and graduate student populations, and overall student retention remains strong.

In addition to its record enrollment, Dominican began the academic year with the opening of its Chicago Campus in the Pilsen community. This new campus offers a two-year associate’s degree with a job-ready focus and concentrations in high-demand areas of cybersecurity, nursing assistant, translation and interpretation, or legal studies. Stand-alone, workforce development certificates are anticipated to launch next year.

About Dominican University      

Founded in 1901, Dominican University is a comprehensive, coeducational Catholic institution offering an associate of arts in liberal arts and sciences as well as bachelor’s and master’s degrees through the Rosary College of Arts and Sciences, the Borra College of Health Sciences, the Brennan School of Business and the College of Applied Social Sciences. The university also offers doctoral degrees in information studies and applied social justice. U.S. News & World Report ranks Dominican University in the top 20 of Midwest regional master’s level universities, #1 in the Midwest for Best Value and #1 in Illinois for best undergraduate teaching and ensuring the social mobility of its graduates. Dominican University is a nationally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution and has campuses in River Forest and Chicago’s Pilsen community.