Florida International University welcoming largest freshman class ever

Florida International University is enrolling its largest-ever freshman class this fall, with more than 5,800 first-year students among a total student body exceeding 49,000.

The surge highlights continued demand for FIU’s programs, particularly in STEM fields, where nearly half of incoming students have chosen a major. Overall enrollment growth spans both undergraduate and graduate offerings.

With the start of the fall semester approaching next week, students are preparing to return to FIU’s campuses across South Florida. Classes officially begin Aug. 25, with the last day to change courses scheduled for Aug. 31. Classrooms, labs and lecture halls are poised to welcome the new cohort, marking the start of the 2025-26 academic year.

FIU reported more than 49,000 degree-seeking students as of Aug. 18, up from 48,624 in fall 2024. Dual enrollment numbers will become available later in the term. The incoming freshman class of over 5,800 remains the largest in university history, with 48% pursuing STEM majors.

Several programs are experiencing notable growth, including psychology, biology, computer and information science, finance, business marketing management and criminal justice. These trends echo the broader pattern of rising demand for high-interest fields and career-focused studies.

The university has also seen a surge in applicants, including first-time-in-college students, which has risen almost 30% across the summer 2024, fall 2024 and spring 2025 terms compared with the previous year.

The surge highlights growing demand for FIU’s academic programs and is also driving an increased need for student housing. In March, FIU’s president, Jeanette Nuñez, told Miami Today that the university plans to expand on-campus housing by roughly 800 to 1,000 slots. Last year, the university announced the University Student Housing Project, initially approved for 816 beds but now pursuing an option for 1,174 beds, with a target opening in fall 2028 to accommodate the continued growth in the student population.

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