Purchase, NY, August 30, 2023 –– Purchase College, State University of New York (SUNY), welcomed new and returning students to campus this week. Defying national and regional trends in higher education, the college welcomed a healthy incoming class of 1,110, which includes 100 more new students than last year. New first year and grad students are up 11% while transfer students are up 12.7 percent. This shows a significant increase over the previous three years which were heavily impacted by the pandemic.
This year, the college also received a record-breaking number of applications from more than 11,000 students from New York State, the Tri-State area, along with several other states and countries around the world.
Programs that have seen a significant growth include the college’s acclaimed Dance, Graphic Design, Theatre Design & Technology, and Music Production majors. Other programs that have shown growth include Biology and Mathematics/Computer Science, while Psychology and Cinema and Television Studies remain strong.
Patricia Bice, Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, said, “As a proud Purchase alumna and as a long-term college administrator, I am very pleased that for generations Purchase has served an important and unique role as a public liberal arts college that offers nationally recognized and affordable programs in the arts, liberal arts, and sciences. Our proximately to New York City, career outcomes, and highly engaged faculty continue to attract students who are looking for a creative, accepting, and vibrant community. I look forward to getting to know this year’s incoming class which represents a wide range of talents, skills, and backgrounds.”