EMMA PIRHALA / NEWS EDITOR

Throughout March, USD released admissions decisions to applicants hoping to join the Class of 2029. The University’s popularity has been on the rise in recent years, with the number of applicants increasing from 13,287 in 2018 to 17,010 in 2024. Despite the higher number, class sizes have remained relatively stable, with around 1,100 students enrolled yearly. For the incoming class, USD’s goal is to enroll 1,350 first-year students for the Fall 2025 semester.  If  the University achieves this goal, then the class would be the largest ever enrolled at USD. 

This year, USD accepted 8,801 students, just a hundred less than the previous year. The group’s academic profile is similar to that of previous classes. The average weighted GPA of accepted students was 4.14, higher than last year’s applicant pool. Beyond academics, the admits have diverse backgrounds with 56% attending public high schools and 21% being the first in their family to attend college.

USD junior Mary Kissinger shared her perspective on the academic profile of applicants. 

“4.14 is pretty high,” Kissinger shared. “It’s cool to see that we are attracting more students, and maybe this will lead to more competitive academics.”

Some USD students are concerned that enrolling a larger class could create a burden for existing students. In recent years, housing has been limited. This has led to single rooms being converted into doubles and some students moving off-campus after being denied on-campus housing. USD sophomore Alexa Kreider shared her experience with lack of housing due to large classes. 

“In my freshman year it felt really crowded,” Kreider said. “I was in Maher, and I had three roommates. I was in a quad. Obviously  there’s limited housing because this freshman class is probably as big as my freshman class, maybe even bigger.”

As the University has expanded, on-campus parking has become limited. Kreider explained how difficulties with parking impact her.

“Walking around campus, it’s fun to see all the students and all the cars,” Kreider said. “But there is an overflow of cars and you can never really find parking. [Increasing enrollment] is definitely a challenge with just how small our physical spaces are.”

Despite concerns, USD Director of Admissions Minh-Ha Hoang ensured that enrollment is carefully planned and takes many factors into account — including housing.

“Enrollment planning happens long before the class is actually selected,” Hoang said. “Decisions on the size of the class are made after conversations with senior leadership, student affairs and housing, the Deans and many others on campus.”

As the University prepares to welcome what could possibly be its largest incoming class, questions  remain regarding  housing and class sizes. Statistics regarding the enrolled class will not be available until the fall. However, administrators continue to emphasize the critical planning that goes into increasing enrollment.

Total applicants for the Fall semester is continuously on the rise. Emma Pirhala/The USD Vista