By Brandon Addeo | News Editor
The incoming Duquesne class of 2020 could potentially be the largest and most ethnically diverse in university history.
Current estimates from Duquesne’s enrollment office say the class will have about 1,550 students, which would make it the largest class ever, surpassing the former leader — the class of 2017, which has 1,547 students. The next three biggest freshman classes include the classes of 2016, 2007 and 2012, with sizes of 1,526, 1,492 and 1,438 students, respectively.
“We are pleased to welcome more than 1,550 freshmen to campus this week,” said Paul-James Cukanna, associate provost for enrollment management. “It’s such an exciting time for us to see our new freshmen and their parents and families, with whom we’ve interacted over the past year, becoming part of the Duquesne University community.”
While the results will not be final until a university census is completed in late September, the class of 2020 will likely be the “first or second-largest,” according to Duquesne spokeswoman Kelley Maloney.
Maloney said part of the reason Duquesne’s class sizes are getting bigger in recent years is because Duquesne is attracting more out of state students. Thirty-one percent of the students in the class of 2020 hail from outside Pennsylvania, she said, compared to 28.4 percent in last year’s freshman class.
“You’re getting more students from out of state … when that happens, you have people telling their friends about [Duquesne],” Maloney said. “Duquesne’s becoming more and more popular.”
Out of state students in the class of 2020 come from 31 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, according to Maloney.
She said this year’s freshman class cited Duquesne’s urban location, size and academic reputation as the top reasons for choosing Duquesne.
Additionally, the class of 2020 is slated to have the largest ever percentage of minority students at 18 percent (280), which can potentially surpass the former most diverse class — the class of 2019, of which 17.1 percent (242) of students identified as African-American, Asian, Hispanic, Native American, Pacific Islander, Native Alaskan or multi-racial.
International students will also be starting at Duquesne this fall, hailing from all corners of the globe, including Brazil, Ireland, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Norway and Vietnam, according to Director of International Programs Joe DeCrosta.
The acceptance rate for the class of 2020 was 74 percent, compared to 75 percent last year and 73 percent in fall 2014.
The 2020 Duquesne class is projected to be the largest in university history.
