UH-Manoa’s freshman class this fall is the biggest in the university’s 111-year history

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - There are a lot of freshmen at UH-Manoa this fall. As in, record numbers.

The university’s flagship campus welcomed 2,209 freshmen to campus last month.

That's the largest freshman class in the university's 111-year history, and a 12.8 percent bump from a year ago.

It also breaks a record set two years ago.

“We have really been focusing on Hawaii high school students, and itʻs paying off because this record freshman class includes a 10 percent increase in local students,” said UH Manoa Associate Director of Admissions Ryan Yamaguchi, in a news release.

“We have dramatically increased our engagement with local high school counselors, our physical presence on campuses and increased communications and marketing initiatives with students and parents.”

Altogether this fall, 51,063 students are enrolled across the University of Hawaii’s 10-campus system. That’s down 1.2 percent from fall 2017.

Three campuses (UH Manoa, UH West Oahu and Kauai Community College) saw enrollment increases, while the rest saw their enrollments drop.

UH President David Lassner, who also serves as the interim chancellor at UH Manoa, said in a news release that the enrollment spikes at Manoa and Kauai show the system is headed in the "right direction."

“However, there remains a challenge with the strong economy, particularly at our community colleges,” he said. "Hawaii needs a more educated workforce and citizenry, and we have to get more students enrolled, keep them in school and graduate them on time.”

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