19/10/2022
Nearly 80,000 prospective first-year students applied to enroll at U-M this fall — nearly 15,000 more than the previous year — creating the largest applicant pool in the university’s history.
From this fall’s 79,743 applications, U-M offered admission to 16,071 first-year students.
Of those admitted, 75 percent of in-state students and a third of out-of-state students eventually enrolled, creating a first-year class of 7,290 students. The class is more than 400 students — or 6 percent — larger than last year’s class.
Total undergraduate enrollment increased by 3 percent over last fall, from 31,329 to 32,282 students. In-state students account for 52 percent of the overall undergraduate student body. Graduate and professional school enrollment also grew, from 16,578 last fall to 17,996 this year, the highest total in U-M history.
Adele C. Brumfield, vice provost for enrollment management, who stepped into her role this summer, said the university remains a top collegiate destination for first-year and transfer students from Michigan, the nation and the world.
Brumfield credited much of the success to the versatility of an enrollment management office that has adapted to the evolving needs of students during the pandemic. With travel and in-person recruitment events limited by the pandemic, the undergraduate admissions teams hosted more than 1,000 virtual events for prospective and admitted students.
“Students responded to the virtual recruitment experiences, which showcased the benefits of a U-M education and helped students imagine themselves as part of our community,” Brumfield said. “From what I have learned, collaboration increased and partnerships were strengthened over the past year as the campus united to enroll the fall class of 2021.”
Brumfield also attributed the success to early messaging last winter that most classes would be taught in person this fall.
The school also experienced a higher-than-expected admissions yield, a term used to describe the number of students who choose to enroll at U-M after being admitted.
Greater diversity among first-year, transfer students
This fall’s first-year class is one of the most diverse in years, with 37 percent identifying as students of color, up from 34 percent last year. The growth is due in large part to increases in Latinx and Black student enrollment.
The number of Latinx first-year students grew from 433 last year to 640 this fall, a 48 percent increase. The number of Black students increased by 32 percent over last year, from 305 to 404. Students who identify as more than one ethnicity also enrolled in greater numbers.
