CHAMPAIGN-URBANA (Chambana Today) – The University of Illinois system has enrolled a record number of students for the 2024 fall semester.
The university’s three campuses in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago, and Springfield have a combined 97,772 students enrolled this semester, according to a news release from the school. The previous record of 94,862 students was set in 2022. Enrollment numbers are based on the 10th day of classes, which most colleges and universities use as a measuring tool.
Of the students, 61,944 are undergraduates, setting another record at the school. First-year students make up 13,689 of those undergraduates. Seventy-nine percent of students enrolled are Illinois residents.
University of Illinois System President Tim Killeen emphasized a need for access to quality higher education. “In a rapidly changing world, higher education is more important than ever — both for the future prospects of individual students and for an economy that demands an increasingly well-educated workforce. We are providing an outstanding education at scale, and our enrollment is evidence of the value the University of Illinois System provides to the state and its citizens.”
While some universities have seen minority enrollment numbers decline, the number of Black and Hispanic students, as well as students who transferred to the University of Illinois system from a community college, all have increased.
