With the arrival of each school year comes the entrance of an entirely new group of Fordham students: the incoming freshman class. This year, the Aug. 28 move-in of the class of 2026 marked the arrival of just under 2,600 students, an enrollment number only slightly lower than that of the class of 2025.

With 7.3% of these new students hailing internationally as well as student representation from all five boroughs of New York City, the class of 2026 is following in the diverse footsteps of the class of 2025. Some popular states these students come from include California, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.

When considering religious affiliation, the class of 2026 is split across the board. Of the new first-year students, just over 32% of students are Catholic and 9.4% are Protestant. Additional affiliations include 5.2% Muslim, 2.3% Hindu, 2.3% Jewish and 17.5% of new students claim no religious affiliation.

In terms of gender demographics, the class of 2026 weighs in with 37% men and 63% women. When compared to the entire Fordham population, the percentage of males in the first-year class remains slightly lower.

As for racial diversity, the class of 2026 is the most diverse class to join Fordham so far, with more than 46% domestic students of color and 7.3% international students. Many international students originate from Brazil, China, France, India, Mexico, Philippines, Russia and Vietnam. Following the example set by the class of 2025, the university has welcomed an incredibly diverse group of first year students to Fordham’s grounds and is hoping to continue this trend in the coming years. According to Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Patricia Peek, Fordham is thrilled to welcome the class of 2026. “We are excited to again welcome such a large, talented and diverse class to the Fordham community. However, going forward it is important for us to determine what the appropriate class size will be across all of the colleges. Therefore, we will be revisiting the class targets for the colleges/campuses in the years ahead given the healthy volume of the last two admission/enrollment cycles,” said Peek.

The class of 2026 is not only impressive due to its diversity; it also exceeds academic expectations.

The average high school GPA of the new class is 3.71, slightly higher than that of the class of 2025. Although Fordham adopted a test optional policy beginning with the class of 2025, students are welcome to submit both SAT and ACT scores. As for the class of 2026’s SAT and ACT scores, they remain 1400 and 32, respectively, respectively. Additionally, 73% of the class of 2026 was ranked in the top 25% of their high school class. These new Rams are expected to surpass expectations both in and out of the classroom.

Lexi Hurchalla, FCRH ’26, is excited to join the “Ramily.” Coming from outside of Philadelphia, she emphasizes that Fordham’s proximity to Manhattan, while maintaining a traditional campus, aided in her decision to attend. She commented on the reason for her decision, saying, she is “excited to experience new foods, sights and cultures while exploring New York City.”

Additionally, Hurchalla cites the “new variety of classes” that Fordham has to offer as an exciting initiative that resulted in her college decision.

The class of 2026, although slightly smaller than its predecessor, is a great addition to the Fordham family and is expected to succeed in all areas. This new academic class, rich in racial and ethnic diversity as well as academic accomplishments, offers a glimpse into a very bright future for both Fordham University and its students.