TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The University of Arizona’s fall 2026 enrollment figures show a significant decline in the size of its incoming first-year class, even as the university says it is shifting its focus from enrollment growth to student success and maintaining a stable budget.
The university reported Friday that 6,111 first-year students enrolled this fall, down from 7,506 in fall 2025 — a decrease of about 18.6%. The 2025 figure represented a return to what the university described as more traditional first-year enrollment levels after larger classes in previous years.
The decline comes as the university implements a new enrollment strategy centered on admitting academically prepared students, improving retention and increasing graduation rates rather than simply increasing the number of students entering the university.
On campus, the change is noticeable to some students.
“Two years and a year ago it was shoulder to shoulder packed,” said Marcel Lopez, a fifth-year senior at the U of A. “You know you kinda gotta walk through people, do a little euro-step. This year, I haven’t had that.”
The university said its fall entering class includes 8,498 new undergraduate students, including 2,387 transfer students. Overall enrollment across all campuses, Arizona Online and the University of Arizona Global Campus is 67,714. Excluding the Global Campus, enrollment is 49,104.
University officials said the smaller first-year class reflects, in part, a decision to retire the Schedule for Success program, which enrolled students needing additional preparation before taking on the university's full academic workload. The university said first-year main-campus enrollment, excluding that program, has generally ranged between 6,000 and 7,000 students in recent years.
The university also reported stronger academic indicators among this year’s first-year students. Their average high school GPA is 3.55, more than 40% had GPAs above 3.75, and nearly 36% graduated in the top 10% of their high school class.
Arizona residents also make up a larger share of the incoming class. Nearly 70% of first-year students are Arizona residents, compared with 63% in 2025 and 53% in 2024.
The university said its enrollment and net tuition revenue are in line with expectations and that its fiscal-year budget remains stable. President Suresh Garimella said the incoming class reflects the university’s land-grant mission, with more than 30% of first-year students being the first in their families to attend college.
But Leila Hudson, chair of the U of A faculty, said the reduction in enrollment could have financial consequences because of the university’s reliance on tuition revenue.
“That is almost inevitably going to HAVE financial repercussions,” Hudson said. “Because student tuition revenues form the lion share of our operating budget.”
Asked about how the university should respond, Lopez said the effect could depend on how resources are distributed.
“But it really depends on how the money is dispersed among the different colleges,” he said.
Hudson said she is concerned about potential effects on faculty and staff but argued that the university should look internally for savings.
“Any revenue shortfall needs to be taken out in senior administrative efficiencies,” Hudson said. “We have a lot of redundancies, a lot of fumbling at that level.”
The university says its new approach is intended to strengthen student outcomes. Its four-year graduation rate has increased by four percentage points to 61.2%, according to the fall census data.
Hudson said the change should include greater faculty involvement in enrollment decisions and investment in the student experience.
“But that’s going to involve more open consultation about how admit and enroll students,” she said. “It’s going to involve smaller class sizes, and making a commitment to our workforce, so we all can support the students.”
The university has also expanded transfer pathways with Arizona community colleges. Transfer enrollment from Pima Community College increased 5.7% this fall and reached its highest level since 2020, according to the U of A.
The university’s Student Success programs are focused on retention, degree completion and early outreach to students who may need academic or other support.
For the U of A, the fall numbers mark a shift in how it measures enrollment success — placing greater emphasis on who enrolls, how prepared students are and whether they ultimately progress toward graduation.
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Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
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