For the third consecutive year, Indiana University of Pennsylvania increased both overall student enrollment and enrollment of new, first-time degree-seeking students, while recording a 10-year high persistence rate (students entering in fall 2024 and continuing for a third year of study for fall 2026).
IUP’s fall 2026 persistence rate of 70 percent is the highest since 2015; the fall 2025 persistence rate was 65 percent.
In addition, the university’s student retention rate from fall 2025 to fall 2026—the number of new, first-time, degree-seeking students who returned for a second year of study—remained strong at 75 percent.
For fall 2026, total student enrollment—undergraduate, graduate, and career preparation program students—is 9,130. Fall 2025 total student enrollment was 9,082; fall 2024 total student enrollment was 9,081.
There are 1,869 new, first-time students enrolled for fall 2026, an increase of 116 students in that category from fall 2025. Overall, from fall 2024 to fall 2026, the number of new, first-year degree-seeking students increased by 215, or 12 percent.
The breakdown of students for fall 2026 by enrollment category is:
- 7,291 undergraduates, up by 173 students from fall 2025 and up by 280 students since fall 2024
- 1,613 students in graduate programs (991 in IUP’s 31 master’s programs and 622 in IUP’s nine doctoral programs)
- 226 students in career preparation (clock hour) programs
The group of new, first-time, bachelor’s degree-seeking students entering IUP this fall reflects a high school grade point average of 3.44, up from a fall 2025 grade point average of 3.36. A total of 77 percent of these new, first-time students graduated from high school with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
“This increase in enrollment and in the academic performance of our new students is a testament to the incredibly hard work of the entire university,” IUP President Michael Driscoll said.
“The persistence and retention of our students reflect a shared, university-wide commitment to student success, supported by the dedicated efforts of our staff, faculty, and Student Success team,” IUP Strategic Advisor to the President for Student Success Paula Stossel said.
There are 651 veteran and military-affiliated students enrolled for fall 2026. Of this number, 546 veteran or military-affiliated students are in undergraduate programs, 68 in graduate programs, and 37 in career-preparation programs.
There are 133 dual enrollment students taking classes at IUP during the fall semester, the second-highest dual enrollment number in the history of the university. This compares to 125 dual enrollment students in fall 2025.
The dual enrollment program allows qualified high school students to take IUP courses while still in high school for academic credit toward their bachelor’s degree. High school sophomores can take three credits per semester; high school juniors and seniors can take up to six credits in each semester.
IUP reduced fees for dual-enrolled students in fall 2024 to $100 per credit. The Punxsutawney Area College Trust, a longtime supporter of IUP and its students, funds dual enrollment costs for students from Punxsutawney Area High School, which permits them to enroll in classes at IUP Punxsutawney for free.
IUP’s career-preparation programs and enrollment for fall 2026 include 30 students in the Criminal Justice Training Center, 41 students in the Emergency Medical Program, 61 students in the paramedic program, and 25 students in the school resource officer training program.
Formerly, the IUP Academy of Culinary Arts program was a certificate program; as of May 2025, students in IUP’s Academy of Culinary Arts and the academy’s Baking and Pastry Arts programs earn an associate in applied science degree. For fall 2026, there are 122 students in the Culinary Arts associate’s degree program and 22 students in the Baking and Pastry Arts associate’s degree program.
Fall 2026 enrollment includes 348 international students from 62 countries, including 74 students enrolled in the American Language Institute, up from fall 2025 international student enrollment of 321 students. For more than 40 years, IUP’s ALI has provided intensive English programs for students from all over the world who want to improve their language proficiency and cultural understanding of the United States.
A total of 1,869—or 21 percent of total fall enrollment—identify as minority, comparable to the number of students in fall 2025 who identified as minority. Overall, 24 percent of the IUP student body identifies as international or minority.
Fall 2026 enrollment includes 536 domestic students from 48 states (including Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia) outside of Pennsylvania, comparable with fall 2025 numbers in this same category. A total of 137 new, first-time students for fall 2026 are from Indiana County.
During the 2025–26 academic year, IUP students were awarded more than $28 million in scholarships from the university in addition to state and federal aid. More than $3.4 million in housing scholarships have been given annually to students, for a total of more than $13.4 million in housing scholarships since 2021. A total of 78 percent of fall 2025 new, first-time students were offered renewable merit scholarships averaging $3,724.
A total of 3,151 students live in university housing on the Indiana and Punxsutawney campuses this fall, the highest on-campus occupancy since fall 2017. In fall 2025, there were 3,008 students living in university housing; in fall 2024, there were 2,842 students living in university housing.
For fall 2026, 37 percent of all students living on campus are continuing students, and 63 percent are new students.
Student participation in dining plans is at the highest rate since 2019. For fall 2026, 3,845 students are participating in meal plans; this compares to fall 2025 meal plan participation of 3,804 students.
An additional 663 students without meal plans have added $380,000 in “flex dollars” to their dining accounts for fall 2026; this compares to 572 students in fall 2025 who added $318,000 in flex dollars to their dining accounts.
“To increase enrollment, especially enrollment of academically talented students in a challenging regional demographic environment, combined with outstanding persistence and strong retention numbers, tells us that the IUP community is truly ‘all in’ when it comes to prioritizing students and student success,” IUP Vice President for Student Affairs Tom Segar said.
“In addition to being academically talented, our students are engaged and active in more than 100 clubs and organizations, taking on opportunities that help them to develop important leadership and community-building skills,” he said
Since its founding in 1875, IUP has evolved from a teacher-training institution into a doctoral research university recognized for its commitment to student success and achievement. IUP’s Impact 150 comprehensive campaign is designed to honor a legacy of educational excellence while looking toward a future of innovation, public service, and leadership in healthcare education, including the first college of osteopathic medicine at a public university in Pennsylvania.