As the first local school to open this year, Aquinas College is continuing its trend of excellent enrollment for the 2026–2027 academic year. This marks the second consecutive year Aquinas will welcome 400+ students, a sign of growth and momentum for the small liberal arts college.
As of early August, the AQ Admissions team had received over 411 deposits from first-year, transfer, and nursing students. Of this figure, 312 are traditional first-year students, 61 are transfer students, and 38 are enrolled in Aquinas’ nursing partnership program with the University of Detroit Mercy.
This year’s move-in day (Thursday, August 13) will be particularly exciting, as 85% of these incoming first-year students and 78% of students overall are choosing to reside on campus. Aquinas’ housing office has delightfully reported that the residence halls are nearly at max capacity at 99%— a monumental achievement.
“Last year we exceeded our goals, and we built even higher goals this year. We had another excellent year. We are excited to welcome so many new and gifted students to campus today. This class represents excellence and excitement,” says Brian Matzke ’97, Vice President for Enrollment Management.
This success was a community effort that began a few years ago in 2024 with a series of changes aimed at removing barriers to enrollment. Behind the scenes, this included streamlining the college’s application process, establishing a new call center, hiring new admissions staff, simplifying the financial aid process, refining and creating new marketing materials, and diligently working to meet students where they are.
The college's efforts in 2025 marked the continuation of this procedural refinement and the dedicated effort of staff and faculty. Aquinas leadership believes the admissions successes between this year and last represent a trend of growth for the college, citing the endurance of their Dominican Catholic heritage.
“Welcoming another large incoming class is a powerful affirmation of the enduring value of an Aquinas education,” says Jennifer Fellinger, Mission Officer and Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications. “Our world is complicated, noisy, and changing fast. Our response isn’t to shy away from that complexity, but to prepare students to meet it with the grounding of prayer, the rigor of study, the call to service, and the strength of community. Those timeless Dominican pillars are as relevant today as ever. We look forward to welcoming our newest Saints and challenging them to discover how they can use their gifts to make the world better.”
Additionally, through the Aquinas Assurance program, the college continues to expand access by helping to eliminate financial obstacles for qualifying students. Grounded in a deep commitment to inclusion, Aquinas believes that every student deserves access to a Catholic and Dominican education, regardless of their family’s financial circumstances.
Among the 411+ incoming students, several exciting trends are emerging.
Popular majors include business, exercise science, and nursing. The high schools that have admitted the highest number of students are East Kentwood, Byron Center, and Grand Rapids Catholic Central.
Already, orientation events are underway, giving these students a place to connect with their peers, meet faculty and staff members, and make memories that will last a lifetime.