The university released its spring statistics on enrollment and retention rates on Feb. 28. These numbers help the university, academic advisors, and faculty understand what incoming students need to succeed, as well as how to increase enrollment in the fall.
Elizabeth Rainey, assistant provost for student success, provided insight on behalf of the university about what these statistics mean for future outreach at Loyola.
The Office for Institutional Research is responsible for collecting and reporting the data Loyola gathers each semester. The Fact Book, which is available on the university’s website, is open to the public for those interested in student enrollment numbers each semester, as well as retention rates.
According to the spring statistics, 86.2% of full-time undergraduates and 92.4% of part-time undergraduates returned for the fall 2025 semester.
Of the 2,832 full-time students, 208 degree-seeking undergraduates did not return, along with 42 of the 573 full-time freshmen who began in fall 2024.
“That’s a combination of the first-time fall class, which was smaller than in years prior, so that was part of the drop,” Rainey said. “There are always some students who don’t return from fall to spring semester.”
The statistics for this school year were affected by the lower number of first-time, full-time undergraduate students. Because the incoming class was already smaller, the rest of the statistics also showed a decline, according to Rainey.
“We see a lot of students, a lot of undergrads, that exit interview data where we ask students, ‘What’s driving you to leave?’ It’s often very personal,” Rainey said.
Rainey said students may transfer to another university for academic reasons, financial hardships, or because they have already graduated. Some transfer in search of a program that Loyola does not offer, while others switch to the university’s online program instead of continuing as in-person students.
This spring, 143 of the 194 online degree-seeking undergraduate students returned to the online-only program.
“We retained 92% of the first-year students who enrolled this fall into the spring,” Rainey said.
Rainey also noted that the delayed rollout of the Free Application for Federal Aid impacted enrollment.
“I do think that affected incoming students last year because there were just a lot of unknown variables,” Rainey said. “Nobody would sign up for a private institution without knowing how much it costs. I wouldn’t advise anyone to do that.”
Rainey and Anthony Jones, the vice president of enrollment management, are working together on a strategic enrollment plan for the future.
Rainey said this plan focuses on ensuring students have the necessary support each semester to graduate.
To encourage higher enrollment, Rainey and Jones have revived in-person initiatives that allow potential students to experience Loyola firsthand and understand what to expect as a student.
“We don’t want to surprise you,” Rainey said. “It’s going to be hot, sometimes things go a little wonky, but overall it’s a lovely place.”
The Student Success Center is now open on select Saturdays this spring and will host Sneak Peek events in the summer to engage with both current and prospective students, Rainey said.
“This fall, we partnered with two different high schools to do scavenger events around the library,” Rainey said. “We engaged with the library and its services, just sort of a fun day and something that is different from a campus tour to give students exposure.”
Rainey also mentioned the National Association for Student Personnel Administrators conference, which will be hosted at Loyola. Representatives from student affairs and various academic departments will attend to gain insight into undergraduate advising models and how to improve them.
