USD Welcomes Largest First-Year Undergraduate Class

“Welcome to the University of San Diego.” It's a common phrase used, of course, when new visitors come to campus such as a student admissions ambassador greeting a group of prospective students and parents at the start of giving one their informative and popular on-campus tours.

Since August, though, welcoming students to USD has been and likely will be for most of the fall semester a common greeting as it reflects the fact that everyone is just getting acquainted.

Why? The Fall 2018 first-year undergraduate student class is the largest in the university's history.

Officially, USD has 1,310 new first-year students in the Class of 2022 and an additional 298 new undergraduate transfer students, according to statistics provided by USD's Institutional Research and Planning and confirmed by Stephen Pultz, USD's associate vice president of enrollment.

While an influx of students brings with it some creative challenges such as campus housing and adding additional classes and professors, there are many ways in which this largest-ever student group is a positive sign.

The rise of acceptances says a lot about how valuable a USD education is to students. It shows that there is a demand to obtain a quality, liberal arts education steeped in the Catholic intellectual tradition at USD, and that the university can welcome more students into its connections-building Living Learning Communities, and for transfers, a Transfer Learning Community.

In addition to the physical number of first-year students on campus, Pultz stated this is also USD's most diverse class of first-year students in USD's history.

"Forty-one percent are minority students, with 21 percent indicating they are Hispanic," Pultz said. "The first-year student class comes from 41 states and 25 different countries and eighteen percent indicate they are the first in their family to attend college."

The numbers regarding undergraduate transfer student population this fall are almost equally diverse. Pultz said 38 percent of the 298 transfer students are minorities with 24 percent indicating they’re Hispanic. Another 22 percent are international students, 36 percent are first-generation college students and 13 percent are military connected students, meaning they are veterans, active military duty or family members who are utilizing military benefits.

The first-year student class size made for a busy OLÉ! Weekend orientation at the start of September. Throughout the month, it's been a matter of getting acclimated to college life, the campus, numerous welcoming events and settling into a routine. But one thing is for sure, for those who are new to the USD campus, it is our pleasure to wish you well and, to join all of the others who welcome you to the University of San Diego.

— Ryan T. Blystone