MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. – Enrollment in SUNY Orange’s academic degree programs continued its upward trend this Spring, surging 6.5 percent ahead of last year’s student headcount, marking the ninth academic session in a row, and third consecutive Spring, that the College has welcomed more students to its campuses in Middletown and Newburgh.

Three weeks into the 2025 Spring semester, and having reached its official State University of New York (SUNY) census date for enrollment, SUNY Orange reports registering 3,824 credit students this semester, compared to 3,589 one year ago. Those totals do not include SUNY Orange Plus (non-credit workforce development) students or dual-enrolled students who participate in the College’s Community College in the High School (CCHS) program. The CCHS students will be added to the College’s final enrollment tally later in the Spring in time for a May reporting deadline to SUNY.

This semester’s headcount is the College’s highest since the Spring 2021 semester (3,914). With increases in each of the past three Spring semesters (2.2 percent in 2023, 9.1 percent in 2024 and 6.5 percent this year), the College has seen enrollment expand by 18.7 percent since 2022.

“When we began this upward trend in Spring 2023, we were excited to see more students returning or committing to their education, and now, here we are with nine straight sessions of growth. What a tremendous accomplishment for the College, and one that we are doing our best to continue for a long time,” said Dr. Kristine Young, SUNY Orange president.

“I applaud the efforts of our faculty members in the classrooms and our support staff across both campuses,” Young added. Our entire College community has embraced a culture of supporting our students so they can reach their academic and life goals. It also pleases me that more students are choosing to have a higher education experience, and they recognize that SUNY Orange delivers an accessible, high-quality education that is affordable and local.”

This Spring’s 6.5 percent increase in headcount was primarily driven by growth in part-time enrollment (+11.4 percent), while full-time enrollment remained relatively stable (+1.7 percent). Greater numbers of part-time students resulted in a modest 4.4 percent jump in full-time equivalent enrollment (credits taken).

First-time students increased by 9.9 percent while the College enrolled 15.5 percent more transfer students. Hispanic/Latino enrollment grew by 6.3 percent and Black/African American enrollment surged ahead 10.5 percent. Simultaneously, adult students, those aged 25-64, are seeing the College’s value for their educational needs, as evidenced by a 17.3 percent jump among those age groups. Meanwhile, the College has also been working to re-engage former students who stepped away for one reason or another prior to graduating/transferring, and those efforts yielded 15.7 percent more returning students (those who have been away from the College for at least one year) this Spring.

This past Fall, in system-wide SUNY data comparing recent Fall semester enrollments, SUNY Orange was listed as the third fastest-growing SUNY community college over the past two years.

For more information about SUNY Orange’s degrees and programs, contact the Office of Admissions at (845) 341-4030, via email at apply@sunyorange.edu or online at www.sunyorange.edu.