KEARNEY – First-time freshman enrollment increased at the University of Nebraska at Kearney this fall, even as overall enrollment declined.
UNK enrolled 824 full-time, first-time freshmen, up 29 students, or 3.6%, from fall 2025.
Overall fall enrollment is 5,477 students, down 222, or 3.9%, from last year.
Undergraduate enrollment is 3,918, down 138, or 3.4%, while graduate enrollment is 1,559, down 84, or 5.1%.
UNK students this fall represent 91 Nebraska counties, 44 states and 61 countries.
“The growth in our freshman class is an encouraging sign and reflects the value students and families see in a UNK education,” said UNK Chancellor Neal Schnoor. “That value is reflected in peer-leading retention rates, strong preparation and placement rates, affordability and graduates’ success in careers that strengthen Nebraska.”
Several academic areas recorded enrollment growth, including programs connected to high-demand careers and Nebraska’s workforce needs.
In the College of Arts and Sciences, health sciences continue to be a major growth area, increasing by 28 students, or 2.96%, to 975. This area includes students pursuing pre-professional health programs, the sciences and the bachelor’s degree in health sciences. Since 2020, the health science programs have seen a 30% increase, from 748 to 975 students. Political science also continues to see growth.
The College of Business and Technology recorded undergraduate growth in industrial technology, management and marketing/agribusiness/supply chain management. Overall college enrollment also increased by 1.3% to 1,144 students.
In the College of Education, communication disorders and counseling, school psychology and family science recorded enrollment growth.
A decline in international enrollment is one factor in the overall decrease. UNK currently has 212 international students, 51 fewer than last year and the largest year-over-year decline since 2020.
UNK continues to focus its enrollment efforts on recruitment and retention, affordability, academic programs aligned with workforce needs and the support students need to successfully complete their degrees.
“Growing the freshman class gives us an important foundation to build on. We’re also seeing continued student interest in programs that prepare graduates for high-demand careers,” said Brad Green, chief enrollment management officer. “Our focus is on recruiting those students, supporting them through graduation and connecting them with opportunities in Nebraska.”
UNK fall enrollment at a glance
- Full-time, first-time freshmen: 824, up 29 (3.6%)
- Total enrollment: 5,477, down 222 (3.9%)
- Undergraduate enrollment: 3,918, down 138 (3.4%)
- Graduate enrollment: 1,559, down 84 (5.1%)
NU System also sees growth in first-time freshmen
Enrollment among first-time freshmen is up across the University of Nebraska System, increasing from 7,824 students last year to 7,987 this fall.
Across the system, overall enrollment was down from 49,638 in 2025 to 48,948 in 2026. Strong recent graduation rates, pathways for early graduation and a nationwide decrease in international students contributed to lower enrollment overall, as have decreasing birth rates, both in Nebraska and throughout much of the United States.
Across the NU System, international student enrollment was at 2,569, down 11% since last year. Graduate enrollment was also down, to 8,979 from 9,509 in 2025, mirroring national trends of reductions in federal research funding. At the same time, total student credit hours were strong, with students across the NU System enrolled in 602,106 credit hours, indicating that students are taking more courses and accelerating their pathway to degree completion and graduation.
“Our overall enrollment reflects national trends and an important inflection point for Nebraska,” said NU President Dr. Jeffrey Gold. “Students are taking advantage of programs that allow them to move through college faster and more quickly enter the workforce. Across the NU System, more new students are choosing to pursue an undergraduate degree. These are positive developments that we should celebrate and encourage.”
The graduating class size continues to grow as well. Since 2018, the university has graduated approximately 11,000 students each year, peaking at 11,654 in 2021.
The University of Nebraska Medical Center and Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis also saw an increase in enrollment, the latter by 11.3% to 237 students this fall, in part because of a popular online veterinary technology program launched in 2025.
In recent years, the NU System has launched several programs intended to expand access to higher education and keep top Nebraska students in-state for college. Across the system, more than 7,500 Nebraska students are attending college through the Nebraska Promise, which waives tuition for students whose families make less than $65,000 annually. In addition, more than 80 students currently enrolled across the NU System are taking part in the Presidential Scholars Program, which provides a full-ride scholarship plus a $5,000 annual stipend to any student who graduates from a Nebraska high school and receives a perfect 36 on the ACT.
Finally, more than 250 first-year students are attending college as part of the NexGen Scholars program, which provides a full-ride scholarship to any resident student who graduates from a Nebraska high school and receives a 33-35 composite score on the ACT.
“As Nebraska’s only public university system, serving the people and communities of our state is central to our mission,” Gold said. “While I’m encouraged by our graduation rates and increasing numbers of first-time freshmen, we must continue our work to grow new programs that will support Nebraska’s workforce needs.”
Campus enrollment totals
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln: 23,577 (1.6% decrease)
- University of Nebraska Medical Center: 4,847 (0.6% increase)
- University of Nebraska at Kearney: 5,477 (3.9% decrease)
- University of Nebraska at Omaha: 14,810 (1% decrease)
- Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture: 237 (11.3% increase)