Applications to the University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus have hit a record high with more than 115,000 prospective first-year and transfer students looking to enroll for the fall 2025 term.
Application volume for prospective first-year students increased in all categories: in-state, out-of-state and international. There were nearly 109,000 applications, an almost 11% increase over 2024. First-year applications have increased 36% over the past five years.
“The continued and growing interest from prospective students demonstrates the clear value of the University of Michigan experience from those within our state, across the nation and around the globe,” said Adele C. Brumfield, vice provost for enrollment management.
“As a public university committed to access and affordability, we are pleased to see a significant increase in applications from first-generation students and students from low-income backgrounds, as well as continued growth from our Michigan residents in both first-year and transfer applications.”
Several categories recorded increases in prospective first-year student applications:
- First-generation students (24.5%)
- In-state (0.5%)
- Out-of-state domestic (11%)
- International students (18%)
- Students from self-reported low-income backgrounds (12%)
- Students of color increased by 14%. The largest year-to-year increase within an identity group occurred in students identifying as Black or African American (17%), followed by Hispanic or Latine (15%), and Native American (13%) and Asian (13%).
While applications from transfer students have increased nearly 25% in the last five years, fall 2025 applications dipped slightly overall to 6,157, a 2% decrease compared with 6,297 the previous year. Despite the decrease, transfer applications increased in several categories:
- In-state (6%)
- First-generation (7%)
- Students from self-reported low-income backgrounds (7%)
- Students of color (11%)
Decisions were released in January for first-year students who applied by the early action application deadline. The regular decision application deadline was Feb. 1, and final admissions decisions will be released by early April. Students offered admission to U-M in Ann Arbor have until May 1 to accept, which is the national undergraduate reply date.
“We continue to encourage students from different backgrounds and life experiences to consider the University of Michigan as their best choice for pursuing their dreams,” said Erica L. Sanders, assistant vice provost and executive director of undergraduate admissions.
“Throughout the recruitment process, we encourage prospective students to visit campus and engage with our community in ways that help them see that they belong at the university.”
Using data available in the CSS Profile — an online application used by colleges and scholarship programs to award non-federal institutional aid — and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the Office of Financial Aid strives to provide prospective students with financial aid packages within two weeks of their acceptance letter.
“Through additional outreach efforts there has been an increase of 52% in the number of prospective students that have completed the CSS Profile, compared with this time last year,” said Tammie L. Durham Luis, assistant vice provost of enrollment management and executive director of financial aid.
“This enables us to provide students a clear picture of the financial support available to them at U-M when making their college choice.”
U-M offers a number of financial aid options including scholarships and grants, loans and federal work-study. In addition, U-M recently expanded eligibility for its Go Blue Guarantee, which provides a tuition-free education to incoming and returning full-time, in-state students whose families have annual incomes up to $125,000 and assets up to $125,000, beginning in the fall of 2025.
The Office of Enrollment Management team and campus partners have begun conducting programs for admitted students on-campus, throughout the state of Michigan and in key areas around the country, with the goal of showcasing the U-M experience and aiding students as they finalize their college choice. These programs will continue throughout the next two months with the largest in-person event series, Campus Day, running through April.
The fall term begins Aug. 25 on the Ann Arbor campus. Detailed fall 2025 enrollment numbers will be released in October.
