ASU reaches milestone enrollment

Arizona State University enrolled more than 200,000 students during the 2025–26 school year,
surpassing that enrollment milestone for the first time in university history.

ASU’s growth reflects more than two decades of reimagining what a public university can be
and who it can serve. As learners increasingly seek education that fits career goals and family
responsibilities and that prepares them for rapidly changing industries, ASU has expanded well
beyond the traditional university. The result is a university that is continually adapting to meet
the changing needs of students and society.

“It is clear that the mission that has guided ASU's transformation for more than two decades —
measuring our success not by whom we exclude, but by whom we include and how they
succeed — is an enduring model for how a top research university can be of greater service
now and into the future,” said ASU President Michael Crow.

The makeup of ASU's total enrollment tells the story of how higher education itself is changing.
Of the more than 200,000 students enrolled annually, over 119,300 are pursuing degrees
through ASU Online, the largest online student body in university history. During the past
decade alone, online enrollment has grown from 30,000 in 2015–16 to 119,300 in 2025–26 as
more working adults, parents and military-connected learners have sought flexible pathways to
earning a university degree. ASU offers multiple start dates for students, with many online
students joining later sessions offered in the fall, spring and summer semesters. The university
began reporting total, annual enrollment in 2024 to include all students who enroll over the
course of a year.

Beyond online education, the university has continued investing in campuses and locations for
students who want in-person experiences:

● 51,200 students will call the Tempe campus home
● 10,800 students will learn on the Downtown Phoenix campus
● 5,200 students will be at the West Valley campus, and the 507-bed residence hall that opened in 2024 has reached capacity
● 5,500 students on the Polytechnic campus in Mesa will benefit from recent investments
including the state-of-the-art ISTB 12 advanced manufacturing hub, which opened in
October.
● 600 students will enroll at ASU locations beyond the metro Phoenix campuses, in
degree programs such as fashion and film in Los Angeles.
● ASU London launches with 320 students, who will begin their experience with welcome
events across London, including the Union Jack Classic on Sept. 19 as the Sun Devils
face the University of Kansas at the historic Wembley Stadium.

As Arizona experiences rapid growth in health care, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors
and other innovation-driven industries, the university continues expanding academic programs
to meet workforce needs:

● To help prepare graduates for the more than 113,000 health care jobs that Arizona is
projected to add by 2034, the John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering is welcoming its inaugural class of medical students this fall.
● This fall, 850 new first-year campus students enrolled in the majors offered by the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation.
● This fall, enrollment in undergraduate engineering programs on the West Valley campus
will grow more than 40% in the recently launched School of Integrated Engineering, the
only engineering school in the West Valley.
● The W. P. Carey School of Business will see a more than 40% growth in new first-year
students enrolling in the undergraduate AI in business degree program, signaling
growing understanding among students for the need for AI acumen in their careers.

The changing nature of higher education also means students increasingly engage with
universities at multiple points throughout their lives.

● Last year, 10,733 students returned to ASU after stepping away from their studies for at
least one semester, thanks to expanded university efforts to reconnect former students with pathways to degree completion.
● Others upskilled through ASU Learning Enterprise offerings, without pursuing an
undergraduate or graduate degree. More than 275,000 learners registered for
nondegree credentials during the past year, including certificates in project
management, financial management, marketing and a growing portfolio of artificial
intelligence skills.

As move-in and ASU Welcome events begin, a projected 158,000 students are enrolled at the
start of the fall 2026 semester. This fall enrollment marks a slight decline from fall 2025
(approximately 1%) due to nationwide declines of international students.

“Although the overall campus enrollment is projected to fall slightly, this is due entirely to delays
and visa denials that our admitted international students have faced,” Vice President of
Enrollment Matt López said.

“We continue to see strong enrollments from across the country and within Arizona. This fall,
more than 9,000 Arizonans will join ASU as first-year students, a reminder that as we keep our
commitment to serve the educational needs of all qualified Arizona residents, the demand for an
ASU degree remains high.”

Among the students enrolled in the fall 2026 semester are a projected:

● 84,600 students enrolled online
● 73,400 students enrolled on ASU campuses
● 38,000 students new to ASU, including first-year, transfer and graduate students
● 16,000 new first-year students, including ASU Online
● 9,000 Arizona first-year students, making ASU the top university choice for Arizona
residents
● 69% of ASU's first-year on-campus cohort hailing from Arizona
● 2,200 new Barrett, The Honors College students with an average weighted high school
GPA of 4.33
● 11,500 international students representing 174 countries
● 38% of first-year students identifying as first-generation college students