UTA sees record enrollment with first-time students amid growing demand for affordable education

UTA enrolls its largest-ever class, bolstered by the Blaze Forward program covering tuition for low-income students.

ARLINGTON, Texas — The University of Texas at Arlington has enrolled its largest-ever incoming class of first-time college students, according to newly released preliminary fall 2026 enrollment figures.

UTA enrolled 5,332 first-time college students this fall, a 4 percent increase from the university’s previous record set last year. Total enrollment reached 42,787 students, while undergraduate enrollment rose 1.5% from last fall to 31,165 students.

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Acting UTA President Archie Holmes said the growth reflects demand for an affordable education and the career opportunities associated with a UTA degree. 

“As more students seek an affordable, high-quality education that leads to meaningful careers and upward mobility, they continue to turn to us because of the opportunities a UTA education creates,” Holmes said in a statement.

Holmes credited faculty, enrollment management and student affairs staff, and alumni for helping students navigate their education and demonstrate the value of a UTA degree.

UTA highlighted its Blaze Forward program, part of the University of Texas System’s Promise Plus initiative, as a key effort to broaden access to higher education.

The program fully covers tuition and mandatory fees for qualifying in-state students whose families earn less than $100,000 a year. UTA said Blaze Forward, along with other grants and scholarships, will allow 60% of full-time undergraduate students to have their tuition and mandatory fees fully covered.

UTA also pointed to a recent Washington Monthly ranking that placed the university No. 1 in Dallas-Fort Worth and No. 5 in Texas in its 2026 “Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars” list. The rankings consider access, affordability, student outcomes and public service.