EMU is proud to announce the results of its annual fall census, which was conducted on Sept. 8 following the 10th day of classes. The census numbers reflect undergraduate, graduate, and non-degree and non-credit enrollment on the Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, campuses for the Fall 2025 semester.

Among the main takeaways from the census data:

• A 10% increase in the size of the incoming undergraduate class, which includes first-year, transfer, readmitted, and aviation students, from Fall 2024 to Fall 2025 (from 218 to 239 students). 
• An 11% increase in the number of new first-year undergraduate students since last fall (from 160 to 178 students).
• A historically high percentage (48%) of first-year undergraduate students identify as first-generation college students (up from 35% last year).
• Another record high, nearly half (49%) of the incoming class is made up of student-athletes (up from 46%).

“Thanks to the tireless efforts of our dedicated enrollment teams, and the unwavering support from faculty, staff, and the entire EMU community, we are seeing an increase in our incoming undergraduate enrollment numbers for the first time since the pandemic in 2020,” said Braydon Hoover ’11, MA ’21, vice president for enrollment and marketing at EMU. “Amid the headwinds that continue to buffet higher education today, we celebrate that more students are choosing EMU to help them fulfill their educational and professional goals, beginning their journeys as unifying leaders with us.”

Among the incoming Class of 2029:

• 43% identify as students of color (among the most diverse in EMU history);
• 73% hail from Virginia, with more than 20% from Harrisonburg and Rockingham County;
• 15 states, Puerto Rico, and four countries are represented; and 
• the average GPA is 3.49 (unchanged from last year), with nearly one-fourth of students entering EMU with at least 10 college credits.

The top three majors of the incoming class, starting from the most popular, are nursing, biology, and business administration. 

While a total 730 students make up the undergraduate student body, 358 graduate students are enrolled at EMU, including 126 new grad students joining the university this semester. Graduate programs that saw the largest gains since last year are Biomedicine (up 45% to 16 new students), Seminary (up 41% to 17 new students, boosted by its new Doctor of Ministry program), and Graduate Teacher Education (up 4% to 43 new students). Students in EMU’s graduate programs represent 20 states and five countries.

Thirty-five educators are renewing their licensure this year (compared to 22 last year) through EMU’s Graduate Teacher Education program. 

EMU’s four-year and six-year graduation rates are 55% and 60%, respectively. Fall 2025 marks the seventh consecutive year that the university’s retention rate, which is generally used as a gauge of student satisfaction, has measured 74% or higher.

“Now more than ever before, the world needs EMU graduates—leaders specially trained to serve as bridge builders and peacemakers,” said Provost Dr. Tynisha Willingham. “It’s gratifying to see our students continue to answer that call and equip the skills needed to make positive change in our world.”

The census numbers, collected on Sept. 9, represent undergraduate, graduate, non-degree and non-credit enrollment on the main Harrisonburg, Virginia, campus and the Lancaster, Pennsylvania, site for fall 2024.

“Amidst a challenging higher education environment, I am delighted that EMU is seeing growth in areas that reflect our shared values and ongoing commitment to belonging,” said Braydon Hoover ’11, MA ’21, vice president for enrollment. “It is important to note that while we are reporting our fall enrollment in aggregate, each number represents an individual student who has chosen EMU to be the catalyst of their bright futures. It is a choice we celebrate and a responsibility we take seriously. We will continue to deliver an exceptional education experience that is accessible for them and for all students interested in becoming unifying leaders.”

Explore more data 
in the EMU Fact Book.

The number of incoming students in the aviation program at EMU at Lancaster surged from 9 to 23 (a 155% increase from last year), contributing to a total undergraduate enrollment of 755 students and an incoming class enrollment of 183 students. The Class of 2028 represents 15 states/territories and 10 countries and includes 34% of students who identify as first-generation and 53% who identify as people of color (a roughly 10% increase from last year). Of the incoming class, 43% are athletes.

Top areas of study, starting from most popular, include nursing, business and leadership, STEM, aviation, and education. The Intensive English Program realized an 18% enrollment increase from 84 to 99 students.

This year at least 32 teachers from the Harrisonburg City and Rockingham County public school divisions are renewing their licensure through the Graduate Teacher Education program, further demonstrating EMU’s commitment to community partnerships.

EMU’s retention rate, which is generally used as a gauge of student satisfaction, remains high. According to census data, 76% of the first-year undergraduate students who entered in fall 2023 continued their studies at EMU this semester. This marks the sixth consecutive year that the rate has measured 75% or higher.

“Our retention rate continues to soar above the national average,” said Provost Dr. Tynisha Willingham. “Achieving this for six consecutive years is a feat. EMU’s collaborative approach, involving various departments working in synergy, ensures that students receive comprehensive support and have the opportunity to thrive academically and personally.”

EMU’s eight graduate programs, which include Eastern Mennonite Seminary and the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, continue to draw exceptional candidates with total full-time equivalent enrollment at 225 students. The number of new graduate students, including part-time and full-time students, is up by 30%. Those 108 degree-seeking students in the incoming graduate class represent 17 states and 16 countries.

Concern over college affordability in the United States is nothing new. The inflation-adjusted average annual cost of tuition, room and board for the country’s colleges and universities has more than doubled over the past 30 years, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

While the cost of attendance has actually been increasing faster at public universities over the past decade, private institutions are in general still more expensive. The National Center for Education Statistics puts the average annual cost of tuition, room and board at private, not-for-profit American universities at $36,300 for the 2010-2011 academic year.

While the -affiliated colleges and universities aren’t quite that pricey, they’re not cheap either. According to online “sticker price” figures, the average full cost of attendance this year at the five colleges/universities is $33,714. (The full cost of a 90-credit hour M.Div. degree from the two Mennonite Church USA-affiliated seminaries is currently just over $41,000.)

Price or best fit?

“Higher education as a whole has had to defend its worth and value in today’s society,” says , director of retention at ��ݮ���� (EMU), Harrisonburg, Va. “We see more and more students making their choice based on price instead of what’s a best fit for them.”

When it comes to paying for an education, however, officials at Mennonite educational institutions note that scholarships and financial aid almost always mean that the actual cost of a student’s education will be less than the sticker price.

Dan Koop Liechty, director of admissions at , notes that cost and affordability decisions are best made after prospective students have applied, been admitted and received financial assistance packages. At this point, students can make decisions based on the bottom-line cost of their educations, which are often much more comparable to attending a public institution than it first appears.

Directly related to the price of higher education is the issue of student debt, which has also been increasing. According to the , 2011 graduates who borrowed to finance their educations finished with an average debt load of $26,600. In the aftermath of the Great Recession, some consider this an unreasonable burden to place on graduates entering an uncertain job market. Others characterize it as a reasonable investment—about the cost of a new Toyota Prius—that sets college graduates on the path to a much larger payoff.

College degree as an investment

“It’s not debt that you’re using to buy consumables and putting on a credit card with a 21-percent interest rate,” says Ron Headings, vice president for enrollment management and marketing at . “It’s buying you a college degree.”

Headings adds that with prior planning and hard work during college—to maintain academic scholarships as well as earn income—students and their families can find it “fairly easy to get out of Bluffton University debt-free.”

Cost and debt aside, getting a college degree clearly remains a smart financial investment for young adults. While estimates vary, many sources now place the average increase in earnings over a 40-year career at or near $1 million compared to workers without a college degree.

Furthermore, faculty, staff and alumni of the five colleges and universities say a degree from one isn’t just any garden-variety bachelor’s degree.

Engaged profs, small classes

“At a larger school, many of the foundational classes are taught by teaching assistants,” says Matthew Schmidt, a 1994 graduate of , North Newton, Kan. “At Bethel you have full professors teaching these same classes.”

Schmidt, who lives in Newton, Kan., and is interim director of a clinic providing health services to medically underserved populations, says the small class sizes at Bethel created an interactive environment ideal for collaborative learning.

Additionally, engaged faculty invested in students’ well-being and emphases on critical thinking and cross-cultural skills prepare them particularly well for the future.

Strong outcomes

Two of many indications are these:

• From 2006 to 2010, 91 percent of EMU graduates who applied to medical school were accepted, almost double the national acceptance rate of 46 percent.

• At Bethel, 95 percent of social work graduates pass their licensing exams on the first attempt, compared with a national pass rate of 78 percent.

“In a rapidly changing and highly specialized job market, a liberal arts college degree provides an essential foundation for the basic skills that are needed in a dynamic economic environment,” says John D. Roth, the author of Teaching that Transforms: Why Anabaptist-Mennonite Education Matters and a professor of history at Goshen College. “So education at Goshen College is ‘worth it’ for straightforward economic reasons alone.”

But the financial case for the value of a Mennonite college, university or seminary education only tells part of the story.

Education that transforms

Back on the financial aid page: “The key is to think of [education] in terms of value. While the cost of college may initially be a bit of a shock, step back, take a deep breath and think about the experiences and lifelong advantages a Hesston education provides.” This appeal to the value of a Mennonite education is an extremely important part of the argument.

“As Anabaptists, we are part of a tradition that measures worth in more than monetary terms,” says Rachel Swartzendruber Miller, vice president of admissions and financial aid at Hesston. “Mennonite colleges and universities not only offer course credits and degrees, we provide transformational opportunities for our students to fully discover themselves and their place in God’s mission in the world.”

Graduates of these schools frequently point to impossible-to-quantify personal growth as one of the most important parts of their educations there.

“Attending Goshen College was a seminal time in my development,” says Peter Eash-Scott, a 1999 graduate, now a stay-at-home dad in Newton “It probably is one of the most influential things that has informed who I am, what I value and who I strive to be.”

Shared, reinforced values

Spending four years in a learning environment surrounded by people who held similar values, Eash-Scott adds, provided “a safe place to explore my faith and challenge my understanding of God, myself and the faith community,” both in and out of the classroom.

Close, caring relationships between students and faculty often are another important aspect of an education at a Mennonite institution.

“The faculty and staff here are part of our community,” says Clark Oswald, associate director of admissions at Bethel. “We care for our neighbors. That’s something as Mennonites that we learn in church growing up, and at Bethel we do that. … There’s just kind of this underlying sense of ‘we’re in this together.’ ”

Michelle Roth-Cline, a 2000 graduate of EMU, called the mentoring role of faculty “absolutely invaluable.” Now a pediatric ethicist for the , Roth-Cline says her education at EMU prepared her for medical school as well as her classmates coming from Ivy League and other prestigious schools. At the same time, what she learned about building relationships has served her equally well.

Learning to care for people

“I learned more about how to care for other people at EMU than I did in medical school. Simply knowing how to care for other people in this way has opened all kinds of doors both personally and professionally that I never would have imagined possible when I was choosing a college,” Roth-Cline says.

Leah Roeschley, a 2011 graduate of Bluffton, says her education there set the stage for her own spiritual growth. The opportunity to explore Mennonite faith and spirituality, combined with “space to ask questions [and] space to access and receive counsel” allows students to “claim a faith that is truly their own,” she says.

“My Mennonite education was worth it because my college experience was bracketed with values that resonated with me,” says Roeschley, a registered dietitian in Bloomington, Ill. “Those values were in the background of everything I did at Bluffton. … I left not only fully equipped for the field of dietetics, but I also left with … a deeper understanding of who I was.”

A related role played by Mennonite higher education is the development of future church leaders and members.

Developing leaders

“There is strong and long-standing research that shows that students who graduate from a Mennonite college are far more likely to participate after college in a Mennonite congregation, our denominational service agencies and leadership positions in the denominational structures. Mennonite higher education is not only a great value for students, we are of great value to our denomination,” says Koop Liechty, the admissions director at Goshen.

, director of admissions at (EMS), says that study at a Mennonite seminary puts Anabaptist “theology, history, polity and biblical understandings” at the center of the curriculum. At a non-Mennonite school, she adds, these topics—key in the development of church leaders—would often be relegated to electives.

Ron Guengerich, a 1974 graduate of (AMBS), says his education gave him a lifelong love of scholarship and the church while bringing the Bible alive as “a challenging and transforming ‘word.’ ” Now the pastor of Silverwood Mennonite Church in Goshen, he says he left well prepared for work within the church and eager to continue advanced study of the Old Testament.

Given the relatively low pay offered to people entering church leadership and ministry positions, Amstutz says EMS is concerned with the growing cost of attendance and believes all levels of the denomination need to “find ways to help support students financially.”

There is also a converse question of worth to consider: What would be the price of not having strong educational institutions?

“It’s impossible to put a money value on effective and visionary leadership for the church,” says Sara Wenger Shenk, president of AMBS. “Most of us don’t get it that healthy communities thrive … because they have compassionate, competent and confident leaders.”

Building community

“Thank God for those who remember that the cost of ignorance and immaturity given full sway in local congregations is far greater than an investment in those who are ready to become masters of the craft,” she says.

According to those interviewed for this article, the sum of an educational experience at a Mennonite educational institution is greater than its individual parts, with academic growth and personal development building upon and informing each other.

“We feel very strongly about our value and the high quality of education that we provide to our students,” says Good. His statement is echoed by his counterparts at other institutions. “At EMU, students receive an education in which they are challenged to move beyond their comfort zone, to think critically about the world around them, to strengthen their core values and beliefs and to be leaders and forces for change and justice in their communities.”

Courtesy The Mennonite, Jan. 1, 2013

How has the enrollment process changed for students entering college since your undergraduate days in late 1980s and early 1990s?

The enrollment process in the 21-century has continued to become increasingly complex. The cost of higher education in both private and public colleges or universities has increased dramatically.

We are acutely aware of the price sensitivity, especially since the 2008 market crash, and are working hard to ensure that we continue to discount a student’s education appropriately and look very closely at the need of the family.

Recruitment has become more and more competitive. Many of the same kinds of colleges are recruiting the same kinds of students. It is important to make clear the distinctiveness of your particular institution to stand out from the others. The ethnic and cultural demographics of our nation are changing rapidly. EMU understands the responsibility it has to become even more equipped to be a diverse campus and continue to be intentional in its decision-making processes in order to meet the needs of students who are increasingly diverse.

A final part of the complexity of the enrollment process is attempting to determine the most appealing feature of the university to highlight to a 15- to 18-year-old high school student. Along with that is discovering what medium should be used to communicate with high school students. The age of social media is upon us, and we are working strategically to find the best mode of communication.

What is your vision for growing enrollment?

Our vision for growing enrollment is multi-faceted. We are currently recognizing that there is a significant untapped market in our own state of Virginia. We are continuing to build stronger ties and relationships with our local constituencies, as well as working toward name recognition statewide.

Our athletic teams are diligently working toward optimal roster sizes, and we continue to develop relationships with other key affinity groups. We recognize that we are an institution that is distinctly Anabaptist, thus we do make special efforts to bring in students from Mennonite background that share the same core values as the university.

What is the ideal EMU student?

Having an ideal student upon entry into EMU would be short-sighted and damaging at a minimum. However, when a student departs from EMU one would hope that the student is equipped with values of care and empathy and well versed in the knowledge of their specific discipline. I would hope that an EMU graduate has had an opportunity to reflect upon and more fully develop their own value system, and be ready to serve using their enhanced gifts, which may have been discovered here.

Why is EMU worth the investment?

One of the most quantifiable areas of investment is the area of job opportunities. At EMU we have an overall placement rate of 98 percent and the placement rate specific to a student’s field is 88 percent. More than 90 percent of our medical school students have been accepted into medical school over the past 10 years compared to the current national average of 46 percent entry rate. In the field of education 97 percent of graduates are employed within six months of graduation and 94 percent of EMU nursing grads pass the state board on the first try.

We are very proud of these results, so we do see the education provided at EMU as a worthwhile investment. The opportunities to perform original research are also a staple of the EMU academic experience.

Another way of valuing this investment is to consider the words of western writer Louis L’Amour who said, “Whatever you commit to your mind no one can take from you.”

After five months, is the position what you expected?

The position of vice president for enrollment has been invigorating this first five months. I am passionately curious and continue to learn more and more about the strengths of the university. I have enjoyed strategic planning, collaborating with other departments, and creating detailed unified plans to help with the enrollment growth and the retention of current students. Developing new relationships within and outside of the greater Mennonite Church USA has been a privilege.

What is your background and how has it shaped you?

I was adopted into the home of a Mennonite pastor’s family. I grew up in New Mexico learning and living out the tenets of the Anabaptist faith. I graduated from Hesston College (Kan.), EMU, Wichita State University (Kan.), and I am pursuing a PhD from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. I’ve also done coursework at James Madison University.

Through all these educational institutes I experienced tremendous growth and self-development. I do not take for granted the privileges and faith formation I have benefited from.

I now wish to conscientiously share my gifts with EMU, the greater Mennonite Church, and non-Mennonite, public and private constituencies across the country. I wish to continue to share Christ-centered stories of discipleship with different religious groups across the country, as well as to provide intercultural teaching and training to both religious and secular institutions.

EMU has 219 first-year students enrolled the fall semester compared to 185 last fall. Traditional full-time undergraduate enrollment – first-year through seniors – totals 847 students, compared to 831 last fall.

EMU has a total undergraduate, graduate and seminary enrollment of 1,578 students compared to 1,439 last fall, according to figures released by David A. Detrow, university registrar. The increase in total enrollment from last year is due in part to the timing by which students in the graduate education and Adult Degree Completion Program begin their studies.

Largest class in 10 years

Lisa M. Rodino, associate director of undergraduate admissions, said EMU welcomed its largest class of 219 first-year students in almost 10 years. The class represents 21 states and 6 countries, with Virginia heading the list with 50 percent of the class. Pennsylvania follows with 22 percent and Ohio with 7 percent.

"The SAT average score for new students is 1075, up from last year’s average of 1060. The average GPA is 3.4, holding steady from last year," said Rodino, adding that "we have 18 students in our honors program."

The Adult Degree Completion Program (ADCP), an accelerated, non-traditional baccalaureate degree program, reported a total of 175 students at both sites – Harrisonburg and Lancaster, Pa., this fall.

Some 61 international students are enrolled this fall in undergraduate, graduate and seminary programs. Approximately 51 percent of full-time undergraduate students are from Mennonite or Mennonite-related groups.

The Intensive English Program (IEP), which prepares students for undergraduate collegiate work, has 36 students this fall. The students hail from approximately 15 countries.

Graduate programs see small increases

Eastern Mennonite Seminary, a graduate program of theological studies on the EMU campus, has a total enrollment of 130 students this fall compared to 120 last fall.

The Center for Justice and Peacebuilding (CJP) has a total of 69 students enrolled, up two from last fall.

The M.A. in counseling program has a total enrollment of 40 students, up five from last fall, and the master of business administration (MBA) program has 39 students compared to 43 a year ago. The M.A. in education program has 79 students enrolled in Harrisonburg and 102 enrolled in Lancaster, Pa.

"It’s hard to adequately express my appreciation to everyone who worked so diligently to communicate the values of EMU to prospective students and their families," said EMU President Loren Swartzendruber. "In addition to the hard work of admissions officers and the many faculty members who made phone calls and other contacts, congratulations are in order to the financial assistance office personnel for the many hours given to students and families to meet the financial needs of our students, particularly in light of this past year’s economic environment," the president added.