Projected freshman enrollment at Clark University is up 35% following the May 1 college decision deadline.
The Worcester school expects 625 freshmen to matriculate this fall for the Class of 2030, up from 525 in fall 2025, the university announced Saturday.
This influx comes after the school reported a nearly 20% drop in expected freshmen enrollments in spring 2025 and consequently announced plans to reduce its faculty size by up to 30% and restructure its degree programs. At that time, the school said it was underenrolled by 80-100 students.
“This has been an unusually intense and competitive year for undergraduate admissions, and I am extremely proud of the hard work across the university to enroll a strong, vibrant incoming class,” President David Fithian said in the announcement.
Clark’s incoming freshman class will hail from 34 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and 29 countries. More than a fifth will be first-generation college students.
Last year’s enrollment decline was compounded by rising operating costs and the immigration crackdown under President Donald Trump, which took a significant toll on the school’s graduate programs. Last year, 82% of its graduate students were international.
In October, Ron Shaich, a 1976 alumnus and founder and former CEO of Panera Bread, donated $20 million to assist with the school’s reorganization.
Monica Benevides is a correspondent for Worcester Business Journal.
