Gonzaga Greets Largest Class Ever
SPOKANE, Wash. – The 1,332 freshmen Gonzaga welcomed to campus this fall make up the largest entering class in the University’s 128-year history. The Class of 2019 also is Gonzaga’s most racially diverse ever, and among its all-time brightest.
“This class is academically one of the strongest we have ever enrolled – top 3 at the moment – and it is the most diverse. We will enroll the largest Honors Program class ever as well,” said Julie McCulloh, Gonzaga’s dean of admission. “Although the class is larger than expected, we are thrilled with the diversity, academic strength, and incredible talent this entering class brings to Gonzaga. We are very excited to witness how they will impact the GU community for the better.”
Read these profiles of two members of this class:
The enrollment exceeds by 7.4 percent the previous record first-year enrollment of approximately 1,240 students (for the Classes of 2013 and 2017). Students of color comprise 26.1 percent of the incoming class – topping Gonzaga’s previously most-diverse Class of 2017, which included 22.7 percent students of color.
Based on preliminary estimates, Gonzaga’s Class of 2019 has a 3.73 grade-point average and test scores of 27 (average ACT composite) and 1,200 (average SAT composite).
The new class is packed with leaders: 19 student body presidents, 149 class presidents or officers, 805 with leadership experience, 606 members of student government, and 1,184 involved in volunteerism. The class also includes 178 students who took part in speech or debate, 1,141 participants in high school athletics or outdoor activities, 381 musicians, 148 ecology/sustainability club members, and 175 theater participants.
Demographically, the entering class includes 52.8 percent women and 47.2 percent men. Once again, the majority of new freshmen, 44.2 percent, hail from the state of Washington (48 percent in fall 2014). California remains Gonzaga’s No. 2 state with 24 percent of incoming freshmen from the Golden State (21.8 percent, 2014). Oregon is home to 9.6 percent of the class (9.1 percent, 2014), while 4.7 percent of students hail from Colorado (3.2 percent, 2014), followed by Hawaii and Montana (2.1 percent) and other states. This class represents 36 states – from as far away as Maine, Connecticut and Tennessee – and the nations of Australia, Canada, China, Germany, the Philippines, Turkey and Uganda.
With respect to religion, 45.5 percent of freshmen indicated they are Roman Catholic. The class includes students from some two dozen other faith traditions.
Official enrollment numbers won’t be known until Sept. 30. However, Gonzaga currently estimates a total enrollment of 7,400 students this fall, including an estimated 5,010 undergraduates, 1,950 graduate students (master’s and doctoral), approximately 340 Gonzaga University School of Law students, and 100 other students (non-degree programs).