For the third year in a row, UT San Antonio is experiencing another increase in student enrollment for the academic school year. There has been a 7% increase since the fall 2024 semester. This growth is due to the university having the largest incoming class enrolled, with more than 7,100 freshmen — a 19% increase from the previous semester.
The increase in enrollment can be attributed to new programs being offered, increased financial aid, and the merger with UT Health San Antonio. Over 1,700 new students are enrolled under Bold Promise, a program that covers 100% of tuition and fees. Additionally, UT San Antonio awarded over $20 million in financial aid to over 2,200 students.
“As we near day one of our historic merger with UT Health San Antonio, this unprecedented increase in UTSA’s student enrollment serves as an important reminder that we’re not just striving to become a bigger university,” UT San Antonio President Taylor Eighmy said. “We’re striving to create a university that is grounded in excellence, and one that will increase opportunities for even more students to succeed in the classroom and in the professional workforce.”
In fall 2017, UT San Antonio launched its Presidential Initiative on Strategic Enrollment to help increase the university’s future enrollment. Over the course of a year, the task force put together a plan that produces creative data analytics strategies for increasing enrollment.
There has been a 12.9% increase of student enrollment from 2017 to 2020.
UT San Antonio does not have a specific carrying capacity; however, there are limits on certain facilities and departments such as student housing, the student recreational center, academic buildings and more. Despite this, the university has a master plan to continue expanding.
Attending students have different reactions to the increasing rate of student enrollment. Many dislike the rapid growth of students because of issues like limited parking and crowded classrooms.
“So far I am navigating it steadily, although I do find it hard to move around freely in rather large areas without bumping into another person,” Film and Media major Jayden Woods said. “I think they can continue to increase their enrollment as long as they do not push the limits and keep students comfortable.’’
UT San Antonio’s enrollment continues to increase due to various factors, like additional programs getting added and more funding towards financial aid. The university aims to surpass 45,000 students by 2028.
