SUNY New Paltz Excited For Fall 2021 Semester

NEW PALTZ – More than 1,000 first-year students and about 700 transfer students will join the SUNY New Paltz community for an in-person semester this fall, marking a significant step toward a return to pre-pandemic campus life for our students, faculty and staff.

This year’s incoming class will join nearly 6,000 continuing undergraduate and graduate students at New Paltz, creating a near-normal enrollment picture despite the disruption caused by COVID-19.

“Our new students have overcome profound hardship during the pandemic, demonstrating incredible perseverance and commitment to service while maintaining focus on their academics,” said Jeff Gant, vice president for enrollment management. “This incoming class is full of students who have been highly involved in their communities as volunteers, artists, actors, entrepreneurs, athletes, and activists. They are excited to be on campus and eager to safely engage with their peers and professors.”

The fall 2021 incoming class at a glance
Some key facts about the newest SUNY New Paltz students:

Our new students come from diverse backgrounds

* About 40% of all new first-year and transfer students at New Paltz this fall represent traditionally underrepresented demographic groups, including about 25% of incoming students who identify as Hispanic.

Our new students are academically accomplished and well-prepared

* Average high school GPA for first-year students: 91.5

* Average college GPA for transfer students: 3.3

Our new students are looking at a wide variety of majors

* The most popular majors for new first-year students include Psychology, Early Childhood/ Childhood Education, Biology, Communication Disorders, Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering.

* The most popular majors for new transfer students include Psychology, Early Childhood/ Childhood Education, Visual Arts, English, Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering.
Some of our new students came a long way to study here

* The majority (about 95%) of our incoming students are from New York, as our primary role remains that of a regional public university. However, our campus community and program offerings draw students to New Paltz from regions across the U.S., including Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island and Virginia.