Nick Stodden of West Des Moines, Iowa, wants to be an emergency medical services physician and chose to attend the University of Iowa for its research opportunities and the chance to volunteer at UI Health Care.

Olive Hayes of Glenview, Illinois, who had only visited Iowa City once before starting classes, says the campus community, with its emphasis on the arts, provides the perfect environment for studying English and creative writing.

Lucas Ralston of Iowa City is looking forward to his coursework in business, history, and cello performance and participating in multiple music ensembles, while Will Clair of Marion, Iowa, is excited to pursue one of Iowa’s newest majors — criminology, law, and justice — as he considers a career in law.

These first-year students are part of Iowa’s incoming class this fall — at 5,208, it is the third largest in university history. It is also one of the highest-achieving, with an average high school grade-point average of 3.83, matching last year’s record.

Sarah Hansen, vice president for student life, says she is excited to see these newest Hawkeyes make their mark.

“I know we will do all we can to help them succeed,” she says. “I had a chance to speak to many students during On Iowa!, and their commitment to being Hawkeyes is impressive.”

Growing up in nearby Coralville, Isabella Tisdale didn’t think she would become a Hawkeye, but an opportunity to work in The Daily Iowan’s newsroom and take on a role as the visuals editor made the journalism major realize that Iowa was a great fit: “I thought staying in Iowa City would feel a little like a second high school, but it hasn’t. I’ve met a lot of people from around the country.”

Tisdale is among 2,813 students in the incoming first-year class who are Iowa residents. The class represents 92 of Iowa’s 99 counties, 45 U.S. states and territories, and 46 countries. They come from a total of 1,145 high schools, with the farthest one in the U.S. located in Kailua, Hawaii, and some 811 incoming students (16%) are from rural areas. Additionally, about 19% of the class (1,003) identify as first-generation students, and more than half (2,822) arrived on campus with transfer college credit.

“The University of Iowa is excited to welcome a tremendous group of new students to campus this fall,” says Brent Gage, associate vice president for enrollment management. “After receiving a record number of applications, the enrollment management team partnered with faculty and staff from across campus to enroll this talented group of students. We are confident this class will thrive both in and out of the classroom as they become part of the Iowa campus community.”

In a speech delivered during Convocation, Claire Gannon, a speech and hearing sciences major from Clarendon Hills, Illinois, urged her fellow first-year peers to be true to themselves while also being open to joining a new family: “Let go of the expectations that this new chapter holds, buy into this experience, and be your true self. We have opportunities knocking at our doors, and in order to find the right ones for us, we must be our most authentic selves.”

This year, 22,738 undergraduates are enrolled at Iowa, including 1,083 transfer students. About 44% of Iowa’s students identify as male, about 55% as female. Graduate students total 6,164, and professional students total 1,877. Total undergraduate, graduate, and professional enrollment is 30,779 students.

Additionally, Iowa has 1,420 postgraduate scholars (medical residents and postdoctoral students).

This information represents a snapshot of enrollment information from early in the fall 2024 semester and may change with time.