Ohio University's total enrollment climbs again

Ohio University welcomed another large, well-qualified first-year class to Athens as planned, enrolling 4,345 new students following record-setting incoming classes the previous two years. The University saw a record high of more than 27,000 applications for fall 2024.

Notably, OHIO saw growth in the number of out-of-state students, with 628 non-Ohio students enrolling as part of the first-year class - the largest number since 2015. Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Illinois continue to be the largest feeder states for Ohio University.

In addition, the University saw nearly 4 percent growth in the number of first-year students enrolling from Appalachian counties in Ohio. This includes 136 students enrolled as part of the first year of the President's Opportunity Promise. This program, inspired by President Gonzalez who is from Appalachian Kentucky, makes it possible for qualifying Pell-eligible students in Athens County or any of its bordering counties in Ohio to attend Ohio tuition-free.

Together with significant changes to federal and state aid programs, the President's Opportunity Promise program played a role in the percentage of Pell-eligible students as a portion of the first-year class, which climbed nearly 5 percentage points to 28.3 percent.

The academic profile of the entering class is strong once again: Ohio University's first-year students entered with an average high school GPA of 3.64; more than 12 percent of enrolled first-year students were ranked in the top 5 percent of their high school graduating class.