UTEP Achieves Record Spring Enrollment
All-time high in returning undergraduates underpins enrollment milestone
EL PASO, Texas (Feb. 17, 2025) – The University of Texas at El Paso is celebrating its highest spring headcount in history, with a total enrollment of 23,861 students this semester. This latest figure represents a 5% increase over last spring.
“These impressive numbers are a testament to our focus on retaining students and supporting them all along the path to getting their degree,” said UTEP President Heather Wilson. “Our students are persisting, and that makes a meaningful difference in our region.”
The enrollment gains span various programs. Here’s a closer look (all percentages are in comparison to Spring 2024):
- Undergraduate enrollment increased by 767 students (a 4.1% increase)
- New undergraduate enrollment saw a jump of 12.1%, including 85 additional transfer students
- Graduate education experienced growth, with an increase of 256 master’s students (+9.6%) and 87 doctoral students (+10.5%), as well as an 18-student gain (+5.6%) among special professional students
- New graduate enrollment rose by 7.1%, including 29 additional doctoral students — a 93.5% increase in doctoral students over last spring
One of the main drivers of this spring enrollment record is undergraduate persistence, which reached an all-time high of 89%. This means nearly nine out of every ten undergraduate students who were enrolled at UTEP in Fall 2024 are continuing their education at UTEP in Spring 2025.
Initiatives ranging from improved academic advising to targeted retention strategies have helped faculty and staff across the campus ensure that students – particularly those at higher risk of not persisting – have the resources they need to succeed.
“This milestone represents UTEP’s strength in helping students persist and advance toward their degrees,” said Amanda Vasquez-Vicario, Ph.D., UTEP vice president for enrollment management. “Our innovative and comprehensive support services ensure that every student, regardless of background, has the opportunity to graduate and make a positive impact in their community.”
As is the case at most higher education institutions in the U.S., spring enrollment at UTEP is typically lower than fall enrollment. This is due to two factors: a large graduating class in December; and the fact that more freshmen enter college in August than in January. In fall 2024, UTEP had an enrollment of more than 25,000.
About The University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso is America’s leading Hispanic-serving university. Located at the westernmost tip of Texas, where three states and two countries converge along the Rio Grande, 84% of our 25,000 students are Hispanic, and more than half are the first in their families to go to college. UTEP offers 171 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs at the only open-access, top-tier research university in America.
Last Updated on February 17, 2025 at 12:00 AM | Originally published February 17, 2025
By MC Staff UTEP Marketing and Communications
