Georgian Court University Sees Growth in New Student Enrollment for Fall 2026

Georgian Court University will welcome a growing class of new students when fall classes begin Tuesday, September 8, with freshman and transfer enrollment both increasing for the 2026–27 academic year.

The university expects to enroll approximately 2,000 students overall, with particularly strong growth in nursing and continued interest across a range of undergraduate and graduate programs.

“New freshman and transfer student enrollments are both up this year, with the most growth in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, which more than doubled the number of students from 25 to 55 from last year,” explained Erika Davis, Ed.D., Vice President for Enrollment Management. “Today’s students are drawn to Georgian Court not only for the excellent academic programs we provide, but for the close-knit, supportive community that we create on campus as part of our values as a Catholic, Mercy University.”

The Class of 2030 includes 182 first-time students, who hail from 13 states and one country, including: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Canada.

Approximately 53 percent of the Class of 2030 are first-generation college students, marking continued success in the university’s outreach and support for this community.

Undergraduate major trends continue to focus heavily on Nursing, Sport Management, Criminal Justice, Business Administration, Exercise Science, Wellness & Sports, and Psychology.

The number of students selecting GCU to complete their education is on the rise, with 200 transfer students registered this fall into 28 undergraduate degree programs. The most popular program is the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, followed by traditional nursing, business administration, psychology, and social work. Students transfer to GCU from 67 different two and four-year institutions. The university has long-standing transfer agreements with many New Jersey community colleges, including Brookdale and Ocean County Community College.

Twelve of the new transfer students are international students from countries, including Canada, Ecuador, Portugal, the Philippines, Mexico, the Netherlands, Serbia, Taiwan, Vietnam, the United Kingdom, and Ireland.

Several new academic offerings are now available starting this semester, including:

New Majors

●B.S. in Computer Science

●Double Major in B.A. Communications & B.S. Business Administration

●Master of Science in Nursing: Informatics, Innovation & Technology

New Minors/Concentrations

●Addictions Counseling Minor (Psychology)

●Data Science Concentration (Mathematics)

●Digital Humanities Concentration (English)

●Health Care Administration Concentration (MBA)

●Marketing Concentration (MBA)

●Medical Imaging Sciences Track (Biology)

Georgian Court will also welcome 164 new graduate students pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees and certificate programs in the fields of nursing, education, psychology, social work, and business administration. These include specialties in school psychology, mental health counseling, educational leadership, marketing, autism, literacy, and even spirituality.

“Enrollment in graduate programs continues to be strong, particularly in the field of nursing with the launch of the new MSN informatics Innovation & Technology for Spring 2027, which has already started receiving applications,” said Dr. Davis. “Graduate education is a great alternative in the current job market, and advanced degrees in high-demand fields, particularly in healthcare and education.”

Dr. Davis added, “Georgian Court is providing students with the opportunity and skills they need to achieve more rapid career growth within their current field.”

Total enrollment for the 2026-2027 academic year is also on the rise, with anticipated enrollment of 2,000 students. Note: Enrollment numbers based on deposits received for 2026-27.

For more information about tuition and fees, visit: https://georgian.edu/student-accounts/tuition/

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Georgian Court University is a leading regional university that provides a transformative education, preparing students for ethical leadership and service in the Catholic Mercy tradition. Founded in 1908 and sponsored by theSisters of Mercy, the university has a historicspecial concern for women. In 2026, Newsweek named Georgian Court one of the top 50 colleges for women nationally in its inaugural America’s Best Colleges for Women rankings. The university is Central and South Jersey’s only Catholic university and offers a strong liberal arts core.

As a forward-thinking university that supports diversity and academic excellence, Georgian Court empowers more than 1,800 students of all faiths and backgrounds in 30+undergraduate majors and 25+graduate programs. TheGCU Lions compete in 16NCAA Division II sports in theCentral Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC). GCU has been named to Phi Theta Kappa’s Transfer Honor Roll for nine consecutive years, recognizing it as one of the most transfer-friendly institutions in the nation. High student retention and graduation rates make GCU aTop Performer on Social Mobility onU.S. News & World Report’s rankings, and in 2024, GCU was named one of the bestOnline Master’s Colleges in New Jersey.

The main campus is in Lakewood, New Jersey, on the picturesque former George Jay Gould estate, a National Historic Landmark. Georgian Court, which is accredited by theMiddle States Commission on Higher Education, also serves students through itsCenter for Professional Studies, and at other locations, includingGCU at Brookdale, and through multipleonline degree and certificate programs.