ORONO, Maine — The University of Maine began welcoming its largest incoming class on Friday — 2,300 students — in preparation for the start of classes for the fall semester on Monday.
In this year’s incoming class, 56 percent of the students are from Maine and 44 percent are from out of state, according to a university press release. The number of in-state students is comparable to last year, while there has been significant growth in the number of incoming out-of-state students, the release states.
UMaine’s incoming class is projected to bring overall enrollment of undergraduates and graduate students to over 11,000, with more out-of-state students than ever before — 30 percent.
Arriving on campus, members of the Class of 2020 and their families were greeted Friday by hundreds of UMaine community volunteers on hand to answer questions and help move students’ belongings into their residence hall rooms. The welcome, known as Maine Hello, is a UMaine tradition that is part of the First Year Experience on campus.
Also part of the First Year Experience for students: the seventh annual Welcome Weekend Day of Service on Aug. 27, when more than 2,000 new students are expected to volunteer for community projects, coordinated by UMaine’s Bodwell Center for Service and Volunteerism. The day will be capped by the President’s Annual Dinner on the Mall and a Traditions ceremony in Alfond Stadium for the Class of 2020.
“Enrollment growth continues to be a key priority for the university, and this past year saw important progress, with increased interest in UMaine among out-of-state students,” said Jeffrey Hecker, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost. “As Maine’s public research university serving the state, our ongoing commitment is to academic quality and an engaged student experience.”
At the graduate level, new students who have confirmed acceptance into master’s and doctoral programs are up 20 percent and 4 percent, respectively, over the same time last year, according to the university.
Enrollment growth continues in UMaine’s Signature Areas of Excellence, including engineering, marine sciences, forestry and the environment, and the Honors College, according to the release.