Fifth consecutive year of enrollment growth at U of I bucks national trends

MOSCOW, Idaho — For the ninth consecutive semester, University of Idaho enrollment increased and it welcomed the second largest freshman class ever in Fall 2025 — second only to Fall 2024’s record freshman class. It also has the largest undergraduate population in its history.

Overall student enrollment is 12,383 students, up 0.8% from the Fall 2024 enrollment of 12,286 students. Retention (first-to-second year) is also up 1.7% — from 75.6% in 2024 to 77.3% in 2025 — highlighting the results of continued strategic efforts to help students stay on track toward their degrees.

• Undergraduate enrollment is up 3% to 7,978, from last fall’s 7,747.
• Total enrollment — excluding dual credit high school students enrolled in college courses — is up 2.6% to 10,849 students.
• Idaho resident undergraduate student enrollment increased by 5%. 

For the sixth year in a row, U of I is ranked as a top Best Value Public University by U.S. News and World Report.

“The University of Idaho is bucking national trends for enrollment. Not only are new students trusting us for their education, but our growing retention shows that students find their place in the Vandal Family and stay to enjoy the strong outcomes,” U of I President Scott Green said.

Graduate enrollment

New first-time graduate students are up 3.3% over the prior year. Total graduate student enrollment is 2,021, up 0.5% this fall from 2,010 students in Fall 2024 and the highest that U of I has seen in the last decade. Master’s degree student enrollment is at a 10 year high of 1,382 students.

Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE)

Total WUE students in Fall 2025 increased 6% to 1,872, from 1,766 in 2024. The WUE program provides a tuition discount to students outside Idaho and includes all 16 Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) states and regions.

“Our university strategic plan has placed a renewed focus on student success and experiential learning, which differentiates the U of I from other schools across the nation,” said Dean Kahler, vice provost for strategic enrollment management. “We believe that students and families see the tremendous value of pursuing a degree at the University of Idaho.”

Law

College of Law enrollment is up 9.8% with 502 students, up from 457 last year. This is the largest first-year class in the history of the law school.

Media contact

Jodi Walker 
Executive Director of Communications 
208-885-4295   
jwalker@uidaho.edu