UP’s first-year population statistics are in.
The 2025 Undergraduates Demographic Report reveals first-year student demographics, including a rise in first-generation (FGEN) students. Forty-four percent of the class is first-generation — up 4% from the previous class.
The report was first announced by President Robert Kelly at an Academic Senate meeting on Sep. 16. The demographics will be made public by the end of the semester, according to Michael Johnson, assistant provost for institutional effectiveness & research.
Increased FGEN first-years
Over the years, UP has seen an increase in FGEN first-year students.
This fall, UP welcomed 303 FGEN first-year students, which is the largest group since 2015, according to Johnson.
Dean of Admissions Mackenzie Stick says she believes the demographic’s steady increase can be attributed to the university’s FGEN programs, as well as financial aid.
“The fact that we are making opportunities for students that are first-generation, students that might not have considered UP 10 years ago because of affordability but [are] now looking at us because we do have attractive aid packages to help families make it a reality, I think that’s a great thing,” Stick said.
Ingrid Luevano Flores, a first-generation senior, says the FGEN program inspires first-year students to participate in the FGEN community at UP.
“I feel like UP definitely has a strong base for their first-gen students, and especially for the upcoming freshmen,” Luevano said. “We saw a lot of bigger numbers this year, not only with the incoming class, but also [with] students interested in being mentees.”
Luevano says the FGEN mentorship program was an integral part of her experience as a first-year. Her exposure to the program influenced her to both become an FGEN mentor and to encourage rising first-years to attend UP.
Percentage of female-identifying, POC-identifying students remains consistent
According to Johnson, 70% of first-time, first-year students are female-identifying, the same percentage as last fall’s incoming class.
Stick says the high rate of female-identifying first-year students follows a pattern seen throughout colleges across the United States.
“I think that first and foremost, that aligns pretty consistently with what you're seeing nationwide in terms of more women and female-identifying students going to college,” Stick said.
Students of color are the next biggest demographic group on campus for the first-year population with a percentage of 65%, similar to last fall’s 66%, according to Johnson.
Decrease in first-years eligible for Pell Grants
The number of first-year students eligible for Pell Grants this year has gone down, decreasing from 39% to 36%, according to Johnson.
Stick suggests that the FAFSA delays and tech issues may have had an impact on the number of eligible students.
“I think [the demographic] had a lot to do with the nationwide FAFSA issues that we experienced last year,” Stick said. “While well intended, the delays and the negative press that that got, I think that scared off a lot of families who would have otherwise been Pell eligible.”
Nursing major stays popular
The School of Nursing and Health Innovations (SONHI) continues to be the most popular program for incoming students.
This fall, 40.5% of first-year students joined SONHI, which is similar to last fall’s 41%, according to Johnson.
Stick says the nursing program’s popularity may go hand in hand with the increasing population of female-identifying students. Historically, women have dominated the nursing profession, and this pattern is prevalent in UP’s student population.
“Some academic programs … [like nursing] traditionally, not always, but traditionally have been something that students who identify as female would be more interested in pursuing,” Stick said.
Reem Alshaban is a news reporter at The Beacon. She can be reached at alshaban28@up.edu.
