Westminster College is preparing to welcome its largest incoming class in nearly a decade, and the 393 new students arriving on campus this week bring notable academic strength with them.

Largest and academically strong

The incoming Class of 2030—which arrives on campus on Thursday, Aug. 20—includes 369 first-year students and 24 transfer students and boasts an average high school GPA of 3.67, with 34% of students entering Westminster with a 4.0 GPA or higher. The class is 9.5% larger than last year’s incoming class and has grown by 34% over the past two years.

“Growth in a class is one thing. Growth in the academic strength of this year’s class is the headline for me,” said Lana Whitehead, vice president for enrollment management.

The increased academic strength is also reflected in interest in Westminster’s Honors College, which doubled among this year’s incoming students. In response, the College doubled the number of students admitted to the program, created a second cohort and added new course sections and faculty.

A class with broad interests

The incoming class represents 25 states and Washington, D.C., with Pennsylvania students comprising nearly 70% of the class. Ohio, Florida, New York, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia are among the other states most represented.

The class reflects broad interest in Westminster’s academic programs. Nearly one-quarter of the incoming class has selected a pre-professional path in one of the College’s pre-medicine or pre-law fields of study. Nursing, business administration, sports management, early childhood education, criminal justice, psychology and accounting are among the most popular intended majors.

Why students are choosing Westminster

The growth comes as an increasing share of students offered admission to Westminster are choosing to enroll. The College’s yield rate—the percentage of admitted students who ultimately enroll—has increased over 4% in two years.

Whitehead attributes that momentum in part to the value students and families see in a Westminster education.

“Families are asking sharper questions than they used to, and they should be — they want proof that a college is stable and that the degree pays off,” Whitehead said. “We love talking about the value of a Westminster degree.”

Westminster students are accepted to medical and law school at twice the national rate, and a third of Westminster graduates have their next step secured before their senior year ends. Among members of the Class of 2025 who responded to the College’s post-graduation survey, 100% were employed or enrolled in graduate school within a year of graduation. That value, however, is not measured solely in outcomes or rankings.

“When we ask students why they chose Westminster, almost nobody leads with a ranking—even though ours are strong,” Whitehead said. “They talk about a person.”

For some students, that person is a professor who helped map out their four years at Westminster during a single conversation. For others, it is a handwritten note following a campus visit or a current student who took the time to strike up a conversation.

“What they’re telling us is they want a campus where they will be known by their classmates and by their faculty,” Whitehead said. “That’s what they’re choosing and that’s why they are choosing Westminster.”

Move-in and Opening Convocation details

The incoming class will arrive on campus during Move-In Day activities on Thursday, Aug. 20, marking the beginning of their Westminster journey and the start of a new academic year for the college community.

The College will officially welcome the Class of 2030 at its annual Opening Convocation at 1 p.m. Thursday in the Will W. Orr Auditorium.

The ceremony will feature greetings from Westminster College President Dr. Kathy Brittain Richardson, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the College Dr. Jamie Freuh and Student Government Association President Silvio Corso ’27. Corso is a senior environmental science major from Washington, Pa. Dr. Patrick Krantz, professor of environmental science and director of the Westminster’s Outdoor Laboratory, will provide the keynote address.

The Opening Convocation can be viewed via livestream here.

Following the convocation and student-parent farewells, the members of the Class of 2030 will take part in a weekend of orientation programming that includes workshops, community building exercises and Titan spirit activities. To view this year’s orientation schedule, click here.

Fall classes for all Westminster students begin on Monday, Aug. 24.

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