The University of Dayton, founded in 1850, will welcome what is expected to be a record number of total students — undergraduate, graduate, law and doctoral — starting this weekend, eclipsing the previous high of 11,300 set last fall.

It all begins Friday when first-year students — the undergraduate class of 2023 — arrive for move-in. The more than 2,050 expected first-year students, one of the largest and most academically gifted incoming classes in University history, come from 41 states and 38 countries. Sixteen percent of students are from underrepresented domestic racial and ethnic populations. 

The first-year class also sets a record for incoming students who are eligible for the federal Pell Grant, a financial aid award for undergraduates who demonstrate significant financial need. Eighteen percent of the class of 2023 are eligible for the Pell Grant; a modern era record that is the result of the University’s focus on improving access for students of all socio-economic backgrounds.

“We are committed to improving financial access for talented students who might have thought a University of Dayton degree was out of reach,” said Jason Reinoehl, vice president for strategic enrollment management. “In recent years, the University has championed a transparent tuition model, created new programs and pathways and been a leader in the national American Talent Initiative to expand access to an excellent education for students regardless of their income level. This work is at the heart of everything we do as a Catholic, Marianist university dedicated to advancing the common good. We look forward to welcoming this diverse class and helping them make their mark on the world.”

Among the class of 2023 are more than 40 new Flyer Promise Scholars, the third cohort in a program that removes financial barriers for high-achieving students at partner high schools. 

Also included are the first students in the new bachelor of science in nursing program, a partnership with Sinclair Community College. The program draws on the strengths of both institutions, including UD’s Marianist tradition of educating the whole person and Sinclair’s long and excellent reputation in nursing education, and helps meet a critical workforce need in the Dayton community. The class also includes a growing number of international students due in part to the growth of UDayton Global, UD’s innovative international partnership with Shorelight Education.

Enrollment growth is also due to new graduate offerings this academic year, including the new hybrid juris doctorate Law@Dayton; the online Master of Business Analytics; online Doctor of Education in Leadership for Organizations; and online Applied Behavior Analysis. The University has created nine new graduate programs in the last five years, as well as new online delivery for the law, MBA and educational leadership degrees.

The University will celebrate new students and faculty at convocation Aug. 20. Classes begin Aug. 21.