This story was originally produced by the Portsmouth Herald. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative.
First-year undergraduate enrollment at the University of New Hampshire’s Durham campus has increased 4% year-over-year, exceeding administrators’ projections.
By the start of May, the school reported it received 2,471 deposits for the 2026-2027 freshman class, showing growth amid an “anticipated demographic cliff” with fewer U.S. college-age students, according to UNH President Elizabeth Chilton.
“This outcome reflects a truly collective effort," Chilton wrote in a Monday, May 11 email. "Over the past year, we made strategic, data-informed adjustments to how we support prospective students, position UNH in a changing market, and how we align our efforts across units. The entire campus community contributed in ways both visible and behind the scenes.”
The incoming class has an average high school grade point average of 3.70, the highest for any first-year class in UNH’s history, according to the school. UNH's Hamel Honors and Scholars College will welcome 322 first-year students, a 20% year-over-year increase.
Read more at Seacoast Online.
