Saint Joseph’s Welcomes Largest Incoming Class in 10 Years
The Class of 2028 is also the most diverse class in University history.
Members of the Class of 2028 stand in formation of their graduation year — a campus tradition.
The fall semester is underway and Saint Joseph’s University has welcomed its largest incoming class in 10 years. The Class of 2028 comprises over 1,300 first-year students, an increase of nearly 12% compared to the previous year.
The rise stems back to an intentional growth strategy to expand not only academic programming and support services, but also the University’s geographic footprint. In 2022 and 2024, Saint Joseph’s merged with University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences in Lancaster, respectively, acquiring dozens of programs in nursing, science, health and allied health. Prospective students have taken notice.
In fact, this year marked a record number of first-year applications, coming in at 11,652 — the largest received in University history — up a whopping 26% year over year.
“We welcomed hundreds of families to our Open Houses and Admitted Students Days this year and they were eager to see the growth of our University at every corner of campus,” says Liz Kennedy Walsh, senior vice president of enrollment management, marketing and communications. “We are so excited for our new and current students to experience the changes firsthand.”
The growth Kennedy Walsh refers to includes the O’Pake Fitness and Recreation Center, a newly renovated, 72,000-square foot facility that promotes student wellness and community engagement, which opened in August; Post Crossing, a new pedestrian underpass that connects the Lower Merion and West Philadelphia sides of the Hawk Hill campus, which opens this month; and Sr. Thea Bowman Hall, a 500-student residence slated to open in fall 2025.
The reputation of academic rigor, as well as the opportunities both in and out of the classroom made SJU a great fit for me.
Jonathan Frank, BS '28
Accounting MajorStudents enrolled in programs like the BSN in nursing program, which is being offered on Hawk Hill for the first time this semester, will also have access to an 11,000 square foot, state-of-the-art simulation lab in their second year at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM).
Other popular majors for the Class of 2028 include pharmacy, health sciences, psychology and finance, among others.
"From my first time on campus, SJU provided me with a sense of community and togetherness, all while being so close to Philadelphia," says Jonathan Frank, BS '28, an accounting major from Pennsylvania. "The reputation of academic rigor, as well as the opportunities both in and out of the classroom made SJU a great fit for me. THWND!"
Frank's peers hail from 27 states and territories, including Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, as well as from 13 foreign countries. This is also the University’s most ethnically diverse class in University history.
In addition to the first-year Class of 2028 on Hawk Hill, 130 undergraduate transfer students and 363 nursing and allied health majors at the University’s Lancaster location will join the growing SJU student body. The combination of these various new undergraduate populations marks the highest new student enrollment in SJU history.
