Texas Christian University welcomed its largest incoming class for the second consecutive year this fall, enrolling 2,886 first-time students and 399 transfers for a combined 3,285 new Horned Frogs.

The class lifts overall enrollment past 13,000 for the first time. Total enrollment reached 13,241, with 11,452 undergraduates and 1,789 graduate students. Undergraduate enrollment grew 2.7% from last fall. By 2035, TCU aims to reach approximately 17,900 students through intentional, student-centered growth as outlined in LEAD ON: Values in Action, the university’s 10-year strategic plan.

The first-to-second-year retention rate also rose to 93.6%, up two-tenths of a point from last fall.

Enrollment growth is especially strong in the Neeley School of Business (3,659 undergraduates, up 4.7%) and in Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences (1,786 undergraduates, up 8.1%).

TCU is also expanding access through the new TCU Scholarship Initiative, which aims to raise $300 million for student scholarships. The university has increased its financial aid offering by more than $150 million over the past decade, and the initiative extends that commitment through need-based and merit awards that include the Chancellor’s Scholars and Community Scholars programs. The effort is designed so that academically qualified students can attend TCU regardless of family income.

The campus is expanding alongside the student body. On July 31, the university held a ceremonial topping out for four new residential communities and a five-story parking garage that will house a new TCU Police Station and Emergency Operations Center. More than $500 million in outside investment is funding the new student housing, which is expected to open before the fall 2027 semester as part of the university’s Campus Master Plan. 

The Princeton Review also recognized the Horned Frog experience in its latest rankings, placing TCU in the top 10 nationally for Happiest Students, Best Quality of Life, Most Beautiful Campus and Best Student Support and Counseling Services. TCU also ranked in the top 15 for Best-Run Colleges, Best Athletic Facilities, Best College Dorms and Best College Libraries.