Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) students represent nearly one-third of all first-time, first-year Tommies enrolled at the University of St. Thomas for four-year and two-year degrees this fall, according to the university’s recently released 10-day enrollment numbers that reflect the most diverse freshman class in the history of the university.
“This new standard reflects the commitment to diversity that the University of St. Thomas renewed when it set a five-year strategic plan to have its total student population (all two-year, four-year, and graduate students) reach 32% students of color by 2025,” said the university’s Vice President of Strategic Enrollment Management Omar Correa, who started his position this summer.
As an institution of higher learning with campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul – a metro area population that is growing in diversity – St. Thomas recognizes its position to be a driving force in closing educational attainment gaps for people of color.
“Our admissions staff and entire administration have made a commitment to have a more inclusive campus environment, welcoming in a greater number of underrepresented students, and the seriousness of that commitment is reflected in the students you’ll see on our campus today,” Correa said. “But we’re not done yet!”
The enrollment final count from the fall semester reveals that the university achieved new levels for BIPOC representation beyond the first-year students; the breadth of diversity is reflected across the entire student body. A record-setting 26% of the total student body is BIPOC, and 96% of two-year students at its Dougherty Family College are BIPOC – also the highest on record.
St. Thomas also is increasing the diversity of its student population with the new Susan S. Morrison School of Nursing within the Morrison Family College of Health. Of the first cohort of 46 graduate students enrolled this fall, one-third are nursing students of color and 20% are men.
A 19% jump in new international undergraduate students adds to the campus diversity. The Class of 2026 includes students from 31 countries, increasing the number of countries represented in St. Thomas’ overall student population to 95 countries.
Here’s a look at the overall 2022-23 undergraduate enrollment:
First-time, first-year four-year undergraduate incoming class is 1,459 students, a 15% jump over last year. Of the students, a quarter are the first in their family to attend college – an increase from 22% last year.
The campus is bustling: Nearly half of all undergraduate students live on-site, the most in recent history.
Academic excellence
Other notable Class of 2026 statistics, according to the recently released figures:
- The average high school GPA of this year’s incoming class is 3.67.
- 18% were in the top 10% of their high school class.
- 24% of the students enrolled with Advanced Placement credits.
Snapshot of the 2022-23 student body
St. Thomas’ total enrollment for 2022-23 is 9,061 students. This includes 182 new four-year transfer students, in addition to 22 Dougherty Family College alumni who are continuing their undergraduate education at St. Thomas.
| Total students (all levels): | 9,061 |
| Total four-year students: | 5,778 |
| First-time, first-year four-year undergraduate students: | 1,459 |
| Total two-year students: | 164 |
| First-time, first-year two-year undergraduate students: | 114 |
| New four-year transfer students: | 182 |
| St. Thomas two-year to four-year transition students: | 22 |
| Graduate students: | 3,119 |
| Total international students undergraduate and graduate: | 510 |
| Number of countries represented: | 95 |
| Number of states represented: | 45 (at time of admission) |
Graduate student enrollment for 2022-23 is broken down as follows:
| College of Arts and Sciences graduate enrollment: | 161 |
| Opus College of Business graduate enrollment: | 746 |
| School of Divinity graduate enrollment: | 127 |
| School of Education graduate enrollment: | 474 |
| Morrison Family College of Health graduate enrollment: | 494 |
| School of Engineering graduate enrollment: | 680 |
| School of Law graduate enrollment: | 524 |
*Counts represent duplicated enrollment, meaning students would be counted twice if they are actively enrolled across multiple schools/colleges.
*St. Thomas follows the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) definition of BIPOC.
Visit the Institutional Data, Analytics and Reporting page on OneStThomas for more St. Thomas facts, including in-depth and historical reports.
