Freshman confirmations are running at a 20-year high at St. Bonaventure University, up 22% over fall 2021 and more than 53% higher than fall 2015.

As of this morning (May 9), 576 freshmen had committed to the university for fall 2022, the most on this date since 2002. The previous four freshman classes at SBU — 2018 through 2021 — were the four largest in the last 13 years.

The university has seen increases in nearly all of its recruitment territories, with significant increases in its Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and local New York and Pennsylvania markets.

Out-of-state students come from 26 states and eight countries, making up more than 24 percent of the freshman confirmations.

“This was a collective and collaborative effort across all divisions of the university, from Academics, Athletics and Enrollment, to Marketing and Communications, Ministries and Student Affairs,” said Bernie Valento, vice president for Enrollment.

May 1 is the unofficial College Decision Day, but almost all institutions continue enrolling students through the summer.

“These outcomes were guided by our institutional strategic plan, which builds on our transformational collegiate experience — delivering academic programs that students desire and a robust extracurricular experience that remains rooted in our Franciscan tradition,” said Dr. Joseph Zimmer, acting president.

Initiatives such as the five-year-old DePerro School of Health Professions and the addition of 24 new academic programs since 2015 have helped fuel the success. For fall 2022, all five of the university’s academic schools have seen an increase in freshman confirmations with the Jandoli School of Communication leading the way with a 46% increase.    

“Our success was guided by our strong strategic enrollment plan, which was critical in the development of our marketing, communication and recruitment plans,” said Megan Perkins, associate vice president for Enrollment and director of Admissions. “Our Admissions team and the Marketing and Communications staff played key roles in the implementation and execution of many new or enhanced recruitment and programming strategies, tactics and initiatives.”

Since 2015, overall student enrollment has increased at the institution by 30% to 2,604 undergraduate and graduate students. The university expanded its online graduate programs over the last several years, attracting students from all over the country. Last fall, overall graduate enrollment reached a record high of more than 800 students.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University is a community committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. St. Bonaventure was named the #5 regional university value in the North in U.S. News and World Report’s 2022 college rankings edition.