UW-Milwaukee Welcomes its Largest Class in 17 Years 

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee welcomed 5,056 new undergraduate students this fall, making this the largest entering first-year class in 17 years. This number includes 3,903 first-year students and 1,153 transfer students, according to the UWM Office of Assessment and Institutional Research.

As of Sept. 8, overall enrollment stood at 22,662, marking a 0.7% increase over the last year, continuing UWM’s momentum in attracting new students. UWM has witnessed growth in class sizes in recent times after years of enrollment declines..

This continued, and blatant growth in enrollment poses a major question in one’s mind — why do first-year students choose UWM?

When looking at why students chose to attend UWM, students like freshman Lauren Greenmier mentioned the physical location of the campus.

“I wanted to attend UWM because of its convenient location,” Greenmier said. “It allows me to live independently while still being close enough to home if I ever need anything.”

According to the UWM Facts & Figures page, 85% of students at UWM are Wisconsin residents. Meaning, Greenmier is not the only student here who values going to a school close to home. While the total number of students from Wisconsin is already high, Wisconsin resident undergraduate enrollment is up 2.2% from last year, sitting at 16,828 students. This means that this new class has brought more Wisconsin residents then the previous class.

Alongside the campus being close to home for so many students, the urban location creates new and exciting opportunities that were previously unattainable for many first-year students.

“What’s really nice about being here at UWM is how the location provides so many opportunities for me to grow professionally and personally,” freshman Aeris Peck said.

Being located in a city environment creates a unique college experience that many students admire. Being placed in a large city allows students to connect with internships and various job opportunities much more easily than if they were located in a small suburb town. This benefit really spoke to new students like Peck who were looking to not only advance their education in their field, but also their experience.

“Overall, I felt UWM was the best place for me to achieve my personal and professional goals,” Greenmier said.

At the heart of it all, students were attracted to UWM for more than just the physical traits of campus. Freshman Laila Juneau attributes her decision to what she described as a feeling of immediate comfort when she first visited the campus.

“I chose to attend UWM because it was the only campus I fell in love with immediately after my tour,” Juneau said. “I could truly see myself being a student here.”

Beyond the preferable location, opportunities and feeling of the university, students chose UWM for their strong academic programs. Both Greenmier and Juneau are kinesiology majors, and they mention the strength of this program as being a primary driving force for their decision to attend UWM.

At the end of the day, students choose where they wish to further their education based on where they feel they will flourish. First-year students make their decision based on an abundance of factors, and they must find what they value most before entering their initial year of university.

“UWM has a great program for my major, so that definitely helped me make my final decision,” Juneau said.

UWM is also nationally recognized for its excellence in research, student access and community engagement. Having this national credibility may have also helped influence students when they were choosing the college they were going to attend.

So, what attracts students to UWM? Well, the fact that it’s close to home helps influence many Wisconsin residents when they are making their choice; the urban location offers opportunities that are unique to this school; the feeling of comfortability the campus provides and the furthering of the academic career.