The University of New Orleans experienced significant increases in the number of new freshmen and new transfer students in the fall 2024 semester compared to last fall. New freshmen were up 20% and transfer students jumped 60%.

New freshmen increased from 829 in 2023 to 996 in 2024, and transfers rose from 305 in 2023 to 489 in 2024. Overall undergraduate enrollment increased 3.5% year-over-year. 

While total university enrollment was down slightly (1.7%) from 6,601 students in 2023 to 6,488 students in 2024, UNO President Kathy Johnson said she is excited about the number of new students and optimistic that the University will return to a growth trajectory.     

“Our new freshmen and new transfer numbers demonstrate the fact that many students and their families recognize the value of a University of New Orleans education, which prioritizes educational excellence and access,” Johnson said. “The work that we are undertaking to increase undergraduate student retention is another reason that I am so confident we will begin growing our overall enrollment in the near future.”

The University has begun working with the Gardner Institute, a nonprofit organization with a long history of partnering with colleges and universities to improve equitable outcomes associated with teaching and learning, as well as undergraduate retention and completion. UNO is part of a group of institutions that is working together as a community of practice to improve student retention and success throughout the first two years of college. 

The initiative, called Transforming the Foundational Postsecondary Experience, will be a 5-year process to understand, refine and enhance the systems, structures and programs that support undergraduate students at UNO.