Bucking both state and national trends in college enrollment this year, Transylvania University is on track to welcome 313 new first-year and transfer students this August for fully in-person living and learning. While national undergraduate enrollment is down by nearly 6%, Transylvania’s deposits for the fall term are up by almost 11% from last year.
This year’s class, the largest since 2015, will be one of the first to enjoy full use of the brand-new William T. Young Campus Center, which houses a dining facility (catered by Bon Appétit), weight room, game room, aquatic center and class and meeting spaces. They’ll also be among the first students to participate and compete with Transylvania’s new esports program. Students can also take advantage of a campus in downtown Lexington, Kentucky — one of the best college cities in America — and have access to modern facilities and comprehensive student services.
“The energy of the incoming class combined with returning students has us excited about the upcoming fall,” says Johnnie Johnson, vice president for admissions. “We are looking forward to being in person in the classes, in the residence halls, in the dining halls and all over campus. We can’t wait to deliver a true liberal arts education in the heart of a thriving city like Lexington.”
Transylvania is planning to return to a full schedule of activities and events, including athletics, speakers, performing arts and student life programs, while taking proactive steps to ensure the health and safety of our community. The incoming Class of 2025 and returning students will benefit from the Healthy at Transy action plan, which prioritizes individual empowerment and community responsibility among students, faculty and staff.
Transylvania continues to enroll some of the best students from Kentucky and across the country, and the incoming class keeps to that tradition with an average grade point average of 3.71. They are bringing with them a record number of college credits due to a rise in dual enrollment during the COVID pandemic. Hailing from 19 different states, 20% of new students received scholarships through the Premier Scholars Program, which awards Transy’s top academic scholarships.
Transylvania continues its commitment to diversity by awarding scholarships to students of different backgrounds. Continuing the rising trend from the last four incoming classes, nearly one-quarter of the class is composed of students with diverse racial, ethnic and nontraditional religious backgrounds, members of the LBGTQ+ community and those with disabilities. First-generation college students represent 22% of the newest class.
The Class of 2025 brings to campus a large group of well-rounded students. Almost half of the class will participate in at least one of Transy’s 27 NCAA Division III sports, and 18% of the class received scholarships for fine arts achievements, including vocal and instrumental music, theater acting and tech, studio art and creative writing. A socially conscious group, they will also benefit from being at one of the top 10 liberal arts colleges for community service, joining 90% of students on campus who participate in community engagement.
The incoming class also made Transylvania a priority in their college application process, with 50% of the class applying by the university’s early action deadline of Oct. 31, 2020. For similarly minded current high school seniors, Transylvania’s application for fall 2022 opens July 1 at transy.edu/apply.