EIU Media Relations

Student achievement & academic momentum define EIU enrollment

Growth in first-year, transfer, and academic programs highlight Fall 2025 10th-day report

(Charleston, IL) – Eastern Illinois University’s Fall 2025 enrollment shows strong positive momentum across several key areas, according to the University’s official 10th-day enrollment reports. The numbers reflect steady growth in new students, academic program expansion, and continued sociocultural opportunities on campus, helping to offset a broader national trend of decreased international enrollment.

• First-Year Cohort: EIU welcomed its largest first-year domestic cohort in three years, with overall first-year domestic enrollment increasing by 4% compared to Fall 2024. Notably, one out of five incoming students entered with a perfect 4.0 high school GPA—up 5% from last year—demonstrating the continued academic strength of the University’s newest class.
• New Transfer Students: Transfer enrollment also increased in Fall 2025, with a 4% overall rise in new transfers. EIU saw particular success with students from its dedicated network of Community College partners, where transfer enrollment grew by 5%.
• First-Generation Students on the Rise: The percentage of incoming first-generation college students at EIU is at its highest-ever point since the University began tracking that data, due in part to EIU’s standing as a First-Gen Forward institution.

Several academic areas experienced significant growth this year as well:

• The Gail & Richard Lumpkin School of Nursing welcomed its largest cohort yet, growing 38% from Fall 2024 while maintaining a remarkable 100% NCLEX pass rate.
• Teaching, Learning & Foundations’ new student cohort grew by 16% following increased attention from prospective students and highly personalized recruitment efforts. The increase reinforces EIU’s crucial and enduring role in addressing documented shortages, especially in rural and high-need areas, helping ease teaching vacancies in the State by 5.6% in the 2024-25 school year.
• Business Administration also nearly doubled (+91%) after the program expanded its offerings to both online and in-person.
• Additional majors experiencing double-digit enrollment growth include Accountancy, Pre-Physical Therapy, Finance, and Construction Management.

"Increases in new first-time, first-generation and transfer students, alongside our record highs for incoming students with a perfect GPA and increased global representation is concrete evidence that Eastern Illinois University is an institution committed to the success of every student," said EIU President Jay Gatrell.

"More than half of our incoming students are the first in their families to attend college," added EIU Vice President for Enrollment Josh Norman. "For these students, stepping foot on EIU’s campus represents a historic moment. They are pioneers, carrying the hopes and dreams of previous generations. They understand EIU is making higher education accessible, and that EIU is confidently positioned to address their personal and professional ambitions."

"Our students understand the legacy of opportunity EIU provides can transform their lives and communities for years to come, and speaks to the unique role EIU plays in opening doors to higher education and creating long-term impact for Illinois families and our regional economies."

Mirroring a national trend, EIU did experience a notable enrollment decline in the area of international students, with international enrollment falling 51% from Fall 2024 to Fall 2025. Recent shifts in global economic conditions, coupled with visa processing delays, enhanced vetting practices, and federal policy revisions collectively contributed to fewer international students in the US overall, resulting in a significant national decline. Even so, the diversity of EIU’s global population expanded to include students from 59 countries. New nations of origin represented in Fall 2025 include Angola, Egypt, Japan, Poland, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Thailand, and Uruguay.

"We know higher education’s role will continue to evolve, especially in today’s unique and sometimes unpredictable environment," Gatrell said. "Whether it’s a decline in international enrollment or fewer high school graduates, our job is to responsibly balance these shifting dynamics by focusing on our mission, serving our amazing students, driving local economies, and innovating in the classroom."

EIU’s commitments are evident on campus, according to Jay Grabiec, Instructor and Photographer in EIU’s School of Technology. Thanks to the energy and ambition of EIU’s spirited students, he has noticed an exceptionally vibrant, upbeat feeling on campus this year. 

"There is a really positive energy on campus this semester and it all started out with an amazing first week," Grabiec said. "That positive atmosphere continued throughout the first week of classes where I saw some beautiful scenes unfold of our students engaging in activities, hanging out on campus, using some of our new facilities…all around just having a good time and riding those positive vibes."

"The higher education landscape is regularly shaped by new technologies, new economies, new policies, and new expectations," Norman added "Through it all, EIU’s values remain unchanged. Our commitments to student, community, and regional success are intentionally aimed at strategic, incremental growth. This approach is foundational to EIU’s long-term success, and a blueprint for helping every EIU student discover and unlock their fullest purpose and potential."

Norman said that EIU’s official 10th-day Fall 2025 8,107-student headcount and notable increase in Honors-eligible students is indicative of the University’s continued success in attracting top-performing students while growing academic programs in high-demand fields, even in today’s challenging higher education environment.

The official 10th-day report remains the standard enrollment metric for higher education institutions across Illinois.

EIU prepares students to accomplish their life goals through a combination of quality academics, personal relationships, and both on-campus and online learning opportunities. For more information about Eastern Illinois University, including its broad array of academic and career readiness programs, or any of EIU’s other community-based services and opportunities, visit eiu.edu or call EIU’s public information office at 217-581-7400.