The University of New England is welcoming its largest-ever incoming undergraduate class this fall.
That bucks a nationwide trend of declining enrollment at traditional four-year institutions.
The Biddeford-based private university will see 850 new undergraduates attending classes this fall. The university attributed the growth to, among other things, strong enrollment in its marine sciences, nursing and medical biology majors, and its new majors that include criminology and special education, as well as a computer science minor.
“UNE has always attracted students with a deep sense of purpose, who want to make the world a better place, and at this moment in history, young people know that the world needs their help.” the university’s president, James Herbert, said Tuesday. “Students choose UNE knowing that our academic programs will prepare them for careers making meaningful impacts on the lives and the health of people, on communities, and on the planet.”
Not only will this fall’s incoming class be the largest ever at the University of New England, but its most geographically and ethnically diverse, according to the school.
The nationwide fall in university enrollment has manifested in Maine in a 15 percent fall in the incoming class at the University of Maine System’s seven campuses and an overall 5.7 percent decline in the study body, despite a higher number of applications in the spring.
It’s not just the University of New England that’s bucking the trend. The Maine Community College System will see a 12 percent surge in enrollment this fall. That’s largely driven by a new scholarship that gives Maine high schoolers two free years of community college because of hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. About 42 percent of incoming students in the Maine Community College System qualified for that scholarship.