Elmhurst University Sees Among Largest 1st-Year Classes

ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst University has started the 2026-27 academic year with 1,458 new students, including 605 traditional first-year students, one of the larger first-year classes in the school's history.

Along with returning students, the university's total fall enrollment is 3,823.

The new first-year class arrived with an average high school GPA of 3.70, which the university said is the highest to date for first-year students. Twenty-nine percent of the fall class are student-athletes. A majority of the students come from the Chicago area, while 41 percent are from out of state.

Among out-of-state first-year students, Texas sent a dozen students, the highest number from any non-bordering state, followed by California with nine.

The university also reported that nearly 70 percent of its new transfer students come from a Chicago-area community college, with most coming from College of DuPage.

The school said 58 percent of its first-year students identify as first-generation college students. This fall, the university launched several initiatives aimed at supporting those students, including the Bluejay First program.

According to the university, the program provides workshops, resources, mentoring and guidance specifically for first-generation students, along with increased communication and engagement with parents and families.

Earlier this year, the university was selected by the nonprofit FirstGen Forward to join a national network of institutions committed to fostering success among first-generation students. The university also pointed to the latest U.S. News & World Report college rankings, which list Elmhurst at No. 7 in the Midwest as a Top Performer for Social Mobility. The ranking reflects support for and graduation of first-generation and economically disadvantaged students, according to the university.

"First-generation students choose Elmhurst because they believe they can succeed here, and we have a responsibility to make sure they do," Elmhurst University President Troy VanAken said in a news release.

VanAken said the university's commitment to first-generation students is part of its broader effort to maintain an academic environment where all students can thrive.