New Student Enrollment Grows 42% in the Last Three Years

In 2020, higher education institutions across the country faced a decline in student enrollment, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic – one from which many have been unable to recover. 

Assumption, however, is on the rise, with total new student enrollment growing 42% in the last three years. The Class of 2029 totals 524 students and, including transfers, 572 students joined the Assumption community for the fall 2025 semester. The Class of 2029 is Assumption’s largest class since 2020.  

Vice President for Enrollment Management Bill Boffi says that helping Assumption thrive has been a true team effort, from the inauguration of a new president in 2023 to the collaborative work that faculty and staff are doing across divisions to focus on what is best for both currently enrolled students and prospective students.  

“It takes a lot of those things working together to strengthen our numbers,” Boffi says. “We have a whole-community approach to recruiting students. It’s not just enrollment – it’s the work marketing has been doing, and athletics, and financial aid. 

“It’s no accident that this growth coincides with President Weiner’s tenure,” Boffi continues. “Our work is aligned very closely with his vision and the strategic plan, and there’s a real community effort. We are committed to doing what is in the best interest of students.”  

Assumption’s strategic plan, Thrive, includes bold enrollment goals. By 2028, the University aims to have 2,135 undergraduate and 500 graduate students – thresholds Boffi says the school is on track to achieve. 

In addition to the collaborative work teams are doing across campus, Assumption has made a significant commitment to increasing access to higher education. Through initiatives like the Fast Track Early Aid Offer – which allowed students to fill out an early financial aid form during a 2023-24 FAFSA cycle beset with technical issues on the federal level – and the Assumption Access Promise, which offers Pell Grant-eligible residential first-year students from Massachusetts free tuition, Assumption is working to provide a Catholic liberal education to all who want it. 

The Access Promise has also helped to increase the number of students enrolled from Massachusetts, achieving Assumption’s goal to make education more accessible for students in the state.  

“President Weiner’s message, Assumption’s message, is consistent: We are here for you, whatever you need,” Boffi says. “This past cycle was less about proactively mitigating FAFSA issues [and more about] maintaining our commitment to make this kind of education available to anyone it speaks to – we’re going to make it work for families.”  

The education Assumption provides is resonating with prospective students, too. The Foundations Program, for example, ensures that students are prepared academically, but also emotionally and spiritually.  

“A big part of what makes us attractive to students is the way the Foundations Program combines practical, technical skills that are relevant today with enduring ideas that we are committed to teaching,” says Boffi.  

The overall high school GPA for students in the Class of 2029 was around 3.5, with 114 members of the class holding over a 4.0 – proving that students are attracted to the high academic quality of an Assumption education as well.  

“We’re growing without compromising standards,” says Boffi. “We’re enrolling excellent, top-end students, from a range of backgrounds.”  

Growth is also strong beyond undergraduate enrollment. Assumption’s accelerated Bachelor of Science in nursing program saw a full cohort of 25 enrolled, and Assumption’s physician assistant program began with a full cohort of 40 students.  

In addition, Assumption has seen physical improvements, including a more than $1 million renovation to Taylor Dining Hall as a part of a new partnership with Aramark Collegiate Hospitality and new additions to the Hagan Campus Center – Pierre’s Pub and the reimagined Charlie’s Cafe.  

“I think the spirit of the campus has improved,” Boffi says. “Students are happy, and when word of mouth is strong, more students are interested in coming here. There is a lot of progress being made, and I think that students sense that momentum.”  

The largest class in Assumption’s history was the Class of 2010, which saw an incoming enrollment of 675 students. With Assumption on the rise and thriving, Boffi is confident that this number will be beaten sometime soon.  

“We’re getting there,” Boffi says. “Check back with me this time next year.”