For the 21st straight year, student enrollment at UNMC set a record high with 4,387 students enrolled for the 2021-2022 school year. This represents an increase of 148 students, or 3.5% over last year's record of 4,239.
International student enrollment is up by 21% over last fall, which is a full recovery from the drop in international enrollment last year due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
"We are experiencing an historical interest and demand in the health professions like never before as these unprecedented times demonstrate our determination and strength," said Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, UNMC chancellor. "More than ever before, health care professionals are demonstrating the critical part they play in our lives. The increased demand in our programs demonstrates the confidence and trust these future health professionals put in us to enable them to provide Nebraskans access to quality health care."
University of Nebraska records most diverse student body in history as enrollment tops 50,000
Dele Davies, MD, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, said the enrollment increase demonstrates the ongoing strong interest, demand and responsiveness of the colleges and institutes to meeting the health care workforce needs of Nebraska and the U.S.
"This year, we added a new occupational therapy doctoral program and saw further expansion of our public health masters programs," Dr. Davies said. "The increased enrollment also reflects the continued expansion of our biomedical research programs with more graduate students now enrolled than we have ever had, supporting our world-class faculty in enabling the scientific discoveries that improve the lives of Nebraskans and our nation."
College of Dentistry
The College of Dentistry admitted 54 dental students and 24 dental hygiene students. The total student enrollment is 311, including 44 post-graduate students. Of the incoming dental students, 32 are from rural areas and 22 are from cities. For dental hygiene, it’s 12 rural and 12 urban students. There were 623 applications for the 54 slots in this year’s dental class.
College of Medicine
There are 132 new students entering their first year of medical school, bringing the total enrollment to 519, which includes 40 students in the MD/PhD Scholars Program. The new students in the college, about 80% of whom are Nebraska residents, were selected from a total of 1,908 applicants. In addition, there are 636 resident physicians (house officers) training at UNMC.
College of Nursing
The College of Nursing enrolled 1,080 students across UNMC’s five campuses in Omaha, Lincoln, Kearney, Scottsbluff and Norfolk. This includes 729 students in the bachelor’s in nursing program, 143 students in the master’s in nursing program, 171 students in the doctor of nursing practice program (DNP) and 30 post-graduate certificate students. Enrollment in the DNP program grew by 6% over 2020.
College of Pharmacy
The college admitted 46 students, with an average GPA of 3.59. Of these new students, 87% are Nebraska residents with 88% from rural areas. The new students bring the total enrollment in the four-year program to 230 students.
College of Public Health
Enrollment for the College of Public Health’s professional programs tops 316, an increase of 15.3% over last year’s 274 students. This year’s students include 288 master’s degree students and 28 certificate/non-degree students. Of the 109 incoming students, 38% are residents of Nebraska. Non-resident students are represented by 40 different states.
College of Allied Health Professions
A total of 743 students are enrolled in the college, including online students. Campus-based enrollment increased by 8% over 2020-21, and about 15% over the past three years. The college has students in 20 different programs.
Graduate Studies
Graduate Studies enrollment is 562 students which represents a 14% increase over last fall. Graduate Studies offers advanced instruction leading to master of science and doctor of philosophy degrees in fields ranging from basic biomedical sciences to public health to patient-oriented research. Among all UNMC graduate students, 85% are enrolled in PhD programs.
Munroe-Meyer Institute
Munroe-Meyer Institute is providing interdisciplinary training, course work and practicum experiences in research and patient care to 365 students enrolled in undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs from universities in Nebraska and across the country, including UNMC. There are 245 new trainees this year. This includes 24 master's level students, 24 doctoral level students, 21 interns and 16 post-doctoral fellows. (Since most students participating in these programs are enrolled at other University of Nebraska institutions and are not UNMC students, they are not counted in UNMC enrollment numbers.)