The University of Rhode Island’s class of 2028, made up of around 3,350 students, were welcomed to the community on Aug. 30 and 31.
Along with 600 transfer and 600 graduate students, the accomplishments of the new first-year class were praised by Dean Libutti, associate vice president for enrollment management and student success at URI.
“This year’s freshman class has brought in some of the most college credit I’ve seen in my two decades of work,” Libutti said.
The University received a record number of undergraduate applications for the fall 2024 semester, at 26,983 applicants, compared to 25,391 the previous year, Libutti said.
“We try to really get the word out about our University around the world so we can have more students from out of state,” Libutti said.
The class of 2028 includes students from 47 different states, with most students coming from Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts, Libutti said. The class also includes students from 65 countries around the world.
30% of the new class are the first in their family to go to college, according to Libutti. 52% of the class of 2028 is from out of state, and 48% are from Rhode Island.
Libutti saw great promise and progress in the class of 2028.
“There was a great decline in student involvement because of COVID, but this freshman class was well-rounded and involved inside and outside of the classroom,” Libutti said.
The class of 2028 was involved in many highschool activities, ranging from sports to arts to music, Libutti said. Additionally, many of the students were volunteers and expressed interest in earning graduate degrees.
The popular majors of the class of 2028 include nursing, business, engineering, psychology and computer science.
During URI’s admissions process, the University’s admissions committee meets to discuss each student application, looking for students who are ready for college, according to Cynthia Bonn, an undergraduate admission counselor. The committee is full of “highly qualified” members who have worked at URI for many years.
The admissions committee either accepts the student, defers the application if the student applied early action, rejects the student or offers them a position on the waiting list, according to Bonn. URI is test-optional as of September 2024, so students are not required to submit scores during the application process, according to Bonn.
More information about the class of 2028’s demographics will be posted on the University of Rhode Island’s website on Oct. 15.