23 August 2024
Today, Taylor University welcomed its largest, record-breaking freshman class. Faculty, staff, students, President D. Michael Lindsay, and his wife, Rebecca, lined Vayhinger Circle to form a welcome tunnel greeting new students and their families as they arrived on campus in Upland, Indiana.
The new cohort of 632 undergraduate students (which includes 581 freshmen and 51 transfers) represents a third year of consecutive growth raising total undergraduate enrollment to 2,040 and total students to more than 3,100—the highest enrollment in Taylor’s 178-year history. An official census will take place in September.
Taylor’s new students hail from 34 states and one US territory (Guam), as well as 19 countries around the world. Academic excellence was not compromised for the sake of growth as the average GPA for the freshman class matched last year’s 3.9 average. The University also enrolled its largest Honors cohort to date.
Thirty-two percent of the incoming class are legacy students, with at least one parent or sibling having attended Taylor. “This remarkable statistic is not due to any special legacy program,” said Andy Gammons, Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions. “It’s a huge vote of confidence in the Taylor experience, as word of mouth is really our most effective recruiting tool. People who attend or attended Taylor genuinely recommend Taylor. Our community leans deeply into relationships, spiritual vitality, and academic rigor, along with long-standing campus traditions and incredible opportunities for global engagement.”
The consecutive years of robust enrollment growth mirror success the University has seen in other key measures of an institution’s health. Taylor’s $500 million Life to the Full campaign, one of the largest fundraising initiatives ever for a Christian college, was publicly announced in April and has already secured more than $285 million in gifts and commitments. Under the leadership of Dr. Lindsay, who begins his fourth year as president, the University is well underway with its strategic and campus growth plan, Taylor Thrives.
