UK enrollment breaks new record, growth is testament to reputation, power of promise to state

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LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 12, 2025) — Enrollment at the University of Kentucky is now pushing 40,000 students, with a preliminary fall enrollment of 38,719, UK President Eli Capilouto told members of the Board of Trustees on Friday. This number is up from 35,951 last fall.  

“Our preliminary numbers speak about who we are and what we do in support of our mission in advancing Kentucky,” Capilouto said. “More importantly, I know we all eagerly think about the generational change those students, when they leave the university, will make possible for communities throughout the Commonwealth.”  

UK’s student body represents every county in Kentucky, 50 states across the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Additionally, UK continues to make strides in recruiting and educating — and ultimately presenting diplomas — to more Kentuckians than ever before. 

Here are the details of the preliminary enrollment report. 

• First-time, first-year enrollment for Fall 2025 is 7,012 — up from 6,513 last fall.  
• For the first time, more than 4,000 first-year students are from Kentucky.  
• Nearly 1,900 students — another record number — are first-generation. That’s about 27% of the class, up almost a full percent over last fall.  
• Overall preliminary fall enrollment is 38,719 with nearly 28,000 undergraduate students.   
• More than 8,100 students are living on campus — over 270 more than last year. This will increase next year when a new residence hall opens, allowing an additional nearly 700 students to live and learn in the campus community. 

Along with attracting students from Kentucky and beyond, UK is also graduating students at record numbers. 

• UK’s preliminary six-year graduation rate is now at nearly 72% — also a record.  
• UK’s five-year graduation rate for the first time is nearly 72% as well.  
• Initial estimates of UK’s four-year graduation rate of about 60% are as high as the six-year graduation rate was 15 years ago.  

“Each year our first-year students gather at Kroger Field to be part of an iconic photo where they fill in a map of the state of Kentucky, and every year the map gets a little larger,” Capilouto said. “This is a testament to the growing reputation of this university and the power of our promise to do and be more for the state we were created to serve more than 160 years ago.” 

Last fall, the UK Board of Trustees directed the university to do more than any institution in the country to improve the health of Kentucky. A key aspect of that directive is working to educate and graduate more students who will become health care professionals, a sector of Kentucky’s workforce facing critical shortages.

This fall, enrollment in health care colleges has increased, according to preliminary figures. More than 7,600 students are enrolled in the colleges of dentistry, health sciences, medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public health. For example, enrollment in the College of Public Health has increased by more than 18 percentage points since last fall. 

“Part of the success in those growing numbers is my belief that at the University of Kentucky, we must do more and be more for our state by helping to create a healthier Kentucky for generations to come,” Capilouto said. 

In anticipation of increased enrollment across campus, UK also remains committed to supporting students — streamlining services to meet evolving needs. 

“Beyond our numbers is our commitment to the success of these students and how we are investing more in how we support them while they are on campus. As important as record-breaking numbers are, it’s even more vital that we help prepare these students for lives of meaning and purpose,” Capilouto said.  

These investments in these services demonstrate UK’s holistic approach to student success — one that grows alongside enrollment and ensures every student has the support to thrive. 

Within UK's Office for Student Success, recent efforts include the creation and expansion of:

• TRACS (Triage, Referral, Assistance and Crisis Support): Addressing mental health concerns and quickly connecting students with appropriate resources. 
• Financial Wellness: Including the development of UK Invests, a first-of-its-kind program that incentivizes student resource use while fostering lifelong healthy financial habits. 
• Integrated Success Coaching: Providing students with personalized action plans that support their success inside and outside the classroom. 

“While the most visible signs of our growing campus are new facilities — like the South Campus residence hall or the expanded and modernized White Hall Classroom Building and Johnson Student Recreation Center — what often goes unseen are the moments behind the scenes,” said Capilouto. “At the heart of it all is our culture of care, which guides everything our dedicated faculty and staff across campus do with and for our students.”