EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The University of Texas at El Paso has reached a record enrollment of 27,368 students for the fall 2026 semester, marking the second consecutive year the university has set an all-time high.

UTEP’s official census count shows enrollment grew by more than 4% from fall 2025, when the university enrolled 26,297 students.

The university also reported its largest incoming freshman class for the fifth straight year.

This fall, 4,695 first-time college students began classes, a 4.3% increase from last year’s previous record cohort of 4,501 students.

UTEP President Heather Wilson said the milestone reflects not only increased enrollment but stronger student retention.

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“Surpassing 27,000 students is a remarkable milestone, but what matters most is that record numbers of students are not just enrolling at UTEP, they are staying and finishing,” Wilson said.

According to the university, 76.6% of last year’s first-time freshmen returned for their second year, exceeding UTEP’s projected persistence rate of 71%. Persistence among all continuing undergraduate students reached 80.5%.

UTEP credited expanded academic advising, the Paydirt Promise and other scholarship programs for helping students continue their education through graduation.

Online enrollment also reached a new high. UTEP Online enrolled 2,158 students this fall, up 8.8% from fall 2025. The university said fully online students now account for about 44% of its total master’s degree enrollment.

UTEP Online offers more than 40 fully online degree, certificate and doctoral programs designed for working professionals, military-connected students and others balancing school with work and family obligations.

The growth was seen across several colleges, including the Woody L. Hunt College of Business, which grew 11% to 4,376 students, and the College of Health Sciences, which increased 10.1% to 2,348 students.

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