UNA continues to be a first choice among students for their higher education.

UNA Continues to be First Choice Among Student Cohorts; Preliminary Enrollment Numbers Indicate Growth for Fall 2024

Sep. 18, 2024



Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@36837a.com, 256.765.4392

FLORENCE, AL – Preliminary enrollment data at the University of North Alabama indicate growth for the Fall 2024 semester, with an anticipated headcount of approximately 10,600 students making UNA their choice for their higher education. Final enrollment figures are expected at the end of October.

“As we approach our third century of providing a high-quality education, it is noteworthy that more and more students are choosing and staying at UNA, whether online or on-campus, for their academic journey,” said Dr. Ken Kitts, UNA’s President. “What they are finding once here is a place that fosters strong academics, excellent resources, and experiential and internship opportunities that will serve them well as they enter the workforce.”

Among the initial data related to enrollment is:

  • Undergraduate degree-seeking students are up, with a 10 percent increase from 2023;
  • UNA has seen increases across a wide range of classifications, as well as being on track, once again, for record retention;
  • Student population in the Cole Honors College is up to 950, which indicates that approximately 15 percent of the overall undergrad population is in that College.

“The University of North Alabama continues to set records, and the expectation is that more than 10,600 students will be enrolled in Fall 2024,” said Dr. Brien Smith, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. With that, we are mindful of the student experience, ensuring that our focus is, and continues to be, on excellence in academics as well as with the student experience, whether on campus or online.”

Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management Julie Taylor said UNA continues to appeal to the student seeking a traditional college experience as well as one that allows them to build relationships, engage in a variety of on-campus activities, and cultivate a degree that will result in a job after graduation.

“We see so many students coming to UNA who want to have smaller class sizes and who want the opportunity to get to know other students as well as their professors,” she said. “They also enjoy the flexibility we offer at UNA with degree programs that are online, on-campus, or a blend of both. We also continue to see many of our students coming to and staying at UNA from the North Alabama region. They can have a unique and fun college experience while still being relatively close to home.”

More and more UNA students are being admitted to the Delores and Weldon Cole Honors College. They find academic rigor as part of the College as well as a sense of community with other Cole Honors College students, according to Dr. Vince Brewton, Honors College Dean.

“Our 2024-2025 recruiting cycle in the Cole Honors College exceeded our original expectation,” he said. “Applications surged in the spring, and our freshman class is easily a record at 251 new students, while total enrollment in the Honors College stands at 954. The numbers are satisfying on their own, but the character and quality of these students really speaks to the growing reputation of UNA in the region. They match up well with the best students anywhere.”

About The University of North Alabama

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: 36837a.com and 36837a.com/unaworks/.