-- 81% increase year-over-year; residence halls are at capacity --
HAMBURG, N.Y. – Hilbert College welcomed its largest incoming class on record this fall, an 81% increase in new students from fall 2021 to fall 2022. Hilbert had approximately 220 new students in fall 2021 and 399 new students in fall 2022. Hilbert’s overall student enrollment also increased 20% compared to 2021, from 750 to 901.
Hilbert’s enrollment increases are due to new student populations in the following areas: athletics, including football, women’s ice hockey, and track & field; online programs via Hilbert College Global; new programs in biology and alcohol & substance abuse counseling; international students, including students from China, France, Greece, Canada, Czech Republic, and Vietnam. Further, a record-high 15% of the new students are from outside of New York State.
The Hamburg college also announced it has sold out of housing reservations and will be home to its largest residential population in the school’s history. Hilbert expects to have 320 students living on campus. The previous residential high was approximately 300 students in 2011 and Hilbert had 260 students living on campus last fall.
“Hilbert’s tremendous enrollment growth is a testament to our dedicated faculty and staff,” Hilbert President Dr. Michael S. Brophy said. “The Hilbert community, behind the strength of our Franciscan mission, has embraced our strategic plan – Hilbert 2025. Consequently, we have hit every mark the campus community outlined in that plan. There is still work to be done, but this is a significant day for Hilbert.”
Hilbert’s expanded access to the Say Yes to Education program and dual enrollment for high school students has increased enrollment from Buffalo Public Schools. Hilbert was selected this year as the exclusive higher education partner for the CareerWise Greater Buffalo Youth Apprenticeship program, a Say Yes Buffalo initiative which is designed to match high school youth with career opportunities. The college’s dual enrollment program increased from 660 students and 17 high schools to 1,950 students and 36 high schools in just one year – a 215% increase in students.
Additionally, Hilbert has a record number of new students enrolling in the following programs: Say Yes, Assisi Opportunity Program, Honors Program, and the Leadership Scholarship Program. Three of Hilbert’s academic programs that have experienced the most growth (year-over-year) are: sports industry management, business management, and biology.
Hilbert College, located in suburban Hamburg, N.Y., south of Buffalo, is a private four-year college founded in 1957 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition. With over 800 students, Hilbert is a dynamic Western New York college that offers career-focused majors, including one of the top criminal justice programs in the region, and more than 50 minors and concentrations. The college’s engaging, student-centered campus community offers numerous leadership, internship, and service learning opportunities from which students launch successful careers while making positive changes in their communities. The Hilbert Blueprint promotes a well-rounded student experience over four years – starting with the Foundations Seminar in the freshman year, followed by Sophomore Service, Junior Symposium, and culminating with the Senior Capstone. Hilbert has expanded its academic offerings with the college’s first graduate programs in criminal justice administration and public administration, including a track in health administration.