LSU Shatters Records with Fall Enrollment, Quality of Incoming Class

Freshman class surpasses 7,000 for first-time ever, overall enrollment at 35,914

BATON ROUGE – LSU has broken the record for the most accomplished, largest and most diverse freshman class in university history. This year’s 7,038 freshmen enrolled surpasses last year’s record of 6,690 freshmen. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, overall enrollment at LSU is also at an all-time high of 35,914.

“Our incoming class joins a teaching and learning community led by outstanding faculty and staff,” said LSU President William F. Tate IV. “I welcome them to college life and challenge these talented students to demonstrate a commitment to serious study. Their past academic performance suggests a readiness to flourish at LSU. We look forward to supporting this group as part of the ‘scholarship first’ vision for the university.”

LSU’s total enrollment of 35,914 students is made up of 28,764 undergraduates and 4,755 graduate and professional students, along with 2,395 LSU Online students – 622 undergraduate and 1,733 graduate and professional. 

“Students and their families are responding to the first-rate academic programs and opportunities offered at LSU,” said Interim Executive Vice President & Provost Matt Lee. “The growth of our on-campus and LSU Online enrollments demonstrate that LSU is offering a degree in demand with more and more high-quality students coming each and every year. I applaud our recruiting staff, along with all of the LSU faculty and staff who make the university a great place to receive a world-class education.”

With the growth of the freshman class, the quality of student entering LSU has not wavered. The GPA for the freshman class is an all-time high at 3.54, and the ACT increased to around 26.

“I could not be more proud of the Class of 2025; they have persevered through one of the most challenging times in recent history,” said Vice President for Enrollment Management Jose Aviles. “Our message continues to resonate across the state and around the country, that we are an elite academic environment where our faculty are leading consequential research that impacts the world. I’m excited that our new students bring their many talents to campus and now have the distinct opportunity to work with our distinguished faculty who will prepare them to make their mark on the world.”

With a record-breaking 7,038 full-time freshman enrolled, diversity of the class is also at an all-time high. The freshman class is made up of 18.8 percent Black students, topping the 16.8 percent of Black students in the 2020 class. The number of Hispanic students in the freshman class is also a record high of 9.5 percent for the 2021 class, exceeding the 9.1 percent in the 2020 class. Students who identify as either American Indian, Black, Asian, Native Hawaiian, Hispanic, and two or more races make up more than 30 percent of the total freshman class this year. Additionally, 30.3 percent of the freshman class is Pell Eligible.

“At a time when other schools are scrambling for enrollment and in particular students of color, every year we are breaking records on both fronts,” said Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer Dereck J. Rovaris Sr. “The record number of historically underrepresented students is indeed a reflection of the good work so many have done to make LSU a more inclusive university.”

Records broken by the 2021 LSU student body:

• Total enrollment of 35,914
• Freshman enrollment of 7,038
  • GPA for the freshman class of 3.54
  • ACT composite for the freshman class of 26
  • Black freshman enrollment of 18.8 percent
  • Hispanic freshman enrollment of 9.5 percent