First-Year and Transfer Enrollment Grows Across UNH Durham and Manchester Campuses
The 鶹app’s residential campuses welcomed 3,000 new Wildcats this fall, with first-year and transfer enrollment growing across Durham and Manchester campuses. Undergraduate first-year enrollment across the two campuses increased 3.5%, while transfer enrollment rose 11.2%. Overall, there are 4.9% more students in the 2026 incoming class than there were in 2025.
“We are thrilled to welcome so many new students this fall,” UNH President Elizabeth Chilton said. “While there are many challenges facing higher education right now, by focusing on a high-quality academic experience, experiential learning, and creating value for students and their families, we are increasingly a first-choice for many.”
UNH also saw improvements in key metrics:
The incoming class had the strongest academic profile of any incoming class in university history.
Incoming students posted an average high school GPA of 3.7.
The share of first-year students entering with a 4.0 GPA or higher rose from 27% to 31%.
The proportion of Honors College students grew to 14%.
Other key characteristics of this incoming class:
The class is 57% female.
Students came from 40 states and 25 countries.
Out-of-state enrollment grew 11%, with every New England state contributing at least 10% growth over the prior year.
In-state enrollment grew 1.7% despite broader regional demographic declines, reflecting UNH's strengthened position in the New Hampshire market.
The university's value-focused messaging strategy appears to have resonated strongly with prospective students: survey data shows that nearly half of enrolling students said UNH was a "much better" value than competing institutions, and 79% rated it a better value overall. UNH awarded a record $40 million in financial aid to incoming students this year, with almost every incoming student — 96% of the entering class — receiving aid. Earlier this year, U.S. News & World Report named UNH the Best Value Public University in New England for the sixth consecutive year, recognizing its combination of academic quality, affordability, student success, and post-graduation outcomes.
Even with new student growth, UNH’s undergraduate enrollment is lower than last year, as Spring 2026 saw a large class graduating.
“We know we have work ahead,” UNH Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Kim DeRego said. “But our latest results point to clear momentum: UNH is growing its incoming class while strengthening academic achievement and investing more in affordability.”