Enrollment up at ECU for third consecutive year

Enrollment up at ECU for third consecutive year

GREENVILLE, N.C. (9/10/2025) - Bolstered by the online Flight Path program and transfer students, enrollment at East Carolina University increased for the fall 2025 semester - the highest since fall 2021. While enrollment figures will not be official until after certification by the UNC System Office, ECU's census day numbers show more than 27,000 students enrolled this fall.

ECU collected enrollment numbers on the 10th day of classes - also known as census day - on Monday. ECU counted 27,153 students for the fall 2025 semester, slightly higher than last fall's mark of 26,940. The total is the highest enrollment since fall 2021. Included in this year's total are 4,132 first-year students, 2.7% higher than the fall 2024 mark of 4,020.

"We're excited for the fall semester and thrilled our students have chosen ECU to receive a high-quality and transformative education," Chancellor Philip Rogers said. "With our strategic focus on student success and our designation as an R1 research university, we provide an engaging learning environment for our students. We continue to show our students and families that a degree from ECU has true value, providing our graduates with fulfilling careers that are helping to transform our region."

Another highlight of ECU's fall 2025 enrollment is the 683 students in online Flight Path programs, an increase of 118% from enrollment in the first eight-week block of courses last fall. The program started in February 2024 with just 31 students. Supported through Project Kitty Hawk, ECU's Flight Path programs are designed to help adult learners earn bachelor's degrees without leaving their home communities, degrees that can lead to individual career advancement while supporting North Carolina's workforce needs.

"We are proud to see dramatic enrollment growth in our Flight Path programs thanks to our innovative partnership with Project Kitty Hawk," Rogers said. "We continue to meet learners where they are. With new transfer pathways and agreements with community colleges, we are streamlining the transfer process to better serve the transfer student population."

New transfer student enrollment increased 10.5%, totaling 1,953 this fall compared to 1,767 in the fall of 2024. Also increased is the first-to-second-year retention rate for new traditional transfer students at 81.5%.

Contributing to total enrollment was a first-to-second-year student retention rate of 83.3% for first-time, full-time, first-year students. This is the third consecutive year of increase in this group's retention rate and is the highest retention rate since the fall 2019 cohort.

Quick Facts for Fall 2025:

• Total enrollment is 27,153.
• Total new first-year enrollment is 4,132, up 2.7% from fall 2024.
• Total new transfer student enrollment is 1,953, up 10.5% from fall 2024.
• Flight Path (ECU's Project Kitty Hawk program) total enrollment is 683 for the first eight-week block of courses only.
• First-to-second-year student retention rate is 83.3%. This is the highest rate since fall 2019 class enrolled and the third consecutive year of increase in the retention rate for first-time, full-time, first-year students.
• ECU has 5,155 students living in 15 campus residence halls. This is an occupancy rate of 98% of the university's managed capacity of 5,259. Legacy Hall is offline for extensive renovation, reopening for fall 2026.

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