HCU Achieves Record Enrollment for Fall 2025

Increase in Enrollment Marks Major Milestone Toward Strategic Growth Goals

Houston, Texas, Sept. 12, 2025- Houston Christian University(HCU) proudly announces a record-breaking enrollment for the Fall 2025 semester, marking a significant step forward in its Institutional Strategic Plan. The University welcomed 954 first-time freshmen, up from 701 in Fall 2024, reflecting an impressive 36% year-over-year increase. In addition, 197 new transfer students joined the Husky community, which was a 6% increase over last year's transfer numbers.

Total undergraduate enrollment surged to 2,819, compared to 2,465 in Fall 2024. Overall, HCU's total student enrollment reached an all-time high of 4,693 students, up from 4,276 in the previous fall semester-a 10% total increase and a powerful indication of momentum toward HCU's vision of enrolling 10,000 students by 2030.

"This record enrollment is an amazing achievement for Houston Christian University," said HCU President Robert Sloan. "We are thrilled that the kind of education we offer is being made available to more and more students. We are growing across the entire academic landscape of the university, and we particularly celebrate our spectacular increase in engineering and related fields. We are especially grateful to donors who have made scholarship support such a high priority. These results are life-changing for so many students."

The record increase in enrollment aligns with HCU's Institutional Strategic Plan, which outlines a bold goal of growing the student population to 10,000, with a balanced ratio of traditional and online learners. Achieving this vision involves expanding academic programs, faculty and infrastructure to meet the needs of a growing and diverse student body.

Dr. James Steen, Vice President for Enrollment Management, reflected on the University's ambitious goals and the collaborative work that brought this year's success to fruition.

"Heading into the recruitment cycle last year, we set a bold target-850 first-time freshmen-which represented a major leap from the 701 enrolled in Fall 2024," said Dr. Steen. "It was an aggressive goal, and one that required a unified effort across departments."

He continued, "We are proud to share that not only did we reach that target, but we far exceeded it. We welcomed 954 freshmen this fall-which was 253 more over the previous year. That kind of growth speaks volumes about the energy and effectiveness of our admissions team, as well as the strength of the HCU brand."

In addition to the record freshman class, HCU saw gains across its total enrollment. "With 4,693 total students enrolled this semester, we're experiencing the strongest enrollment growth in our history," Dr. Steen noted. "This milestone represents not just numerical success, but a university-wide commitment to investing in and supporting every new student who joins our campus."

As HCU continues to evolve into one of the leading Christian universities in the region, today's announcement marks not just a milestone-but a mission in motion.

# # #

About Houston Christian University

For more than 60 years, Houston Christian Universityhas equipped students to lead, collaborate and embody a deep sense of spiritual purpose. The University offers a wide range of majors, undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs, as well as NCAA Division I athletics in the Southland Conference. Located in the heart of one of the nation's largest metropolitan centers, HCU's culture of excellence molds the next generation of educated disciples to be pillars in their communities, preparing them to think critically and biblically as they impact the world.