MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. – With record-setting Winter session enrollment for the third straight year, followed by year-over-year gains to begin the new Spring 2026 semester, SUNY Orange has now posted higher enrollment in 13 successive academic sessions and has seen overall enrollment surge 27.5 percent in that span.

During the accelerated Winter session, student headcount eclipsed 200 for the first time in the eight years since the College introduced the January opportunity for students to take an online course to supplement their schedule. A total of 219 students registered, marking a 17.1 percent gain. Meanwhile, this Spring the College has welcomed 7.4 percent more students than one year ago, as of the third-week enrollment freeze date. These gains follow the Fall 2025 semester in which the student headcount increased by 6.1 percent.

Dr. Kristine Young, SUNY Orange President: “SUNY Orange continues to build momentum by attracting new students and retaining current students. We are accessible and local, our tuition is affordable, our academics are challenging and our support services help students achieve their maximum potential. These ingredients, along with our expert faculty and dedicated employees, have come together at an important time for the College as well as higher education. We are thankful for the inspired leadership from our Board of Trustees and the continued support of County Executive Steve Neuhaus, the Orange County Legislature and SUNY.”

Dr. Erika Hackman, SUNY Orange Provost: “Growing enrollment is a sign that students value their education and believe SUNY Orange can help them reach their goals. We are innovating and transforming the SUNY Orange Experience for our students. Our selection as a finalist for the national Bellwether Award shows the cutting-edge innovation by our faculty. We are helping new students get acclimated to college life more quickly and providing a full range of support programs that meet all students where they are. These are among the reasons SUNY Orange ranks fifth among SUNY community colleges in student retention, and why we are continuing to show enrollment growth semester after semester.”

Steve Neuhaus, Orange County Executive: “Congratulations to Dr. Young and the team at SUNY Orange on their successful efforts to continually increase enrollment. It’s great to see local and out-of-county students taking advantage of this educational gem right here in our County.”

The College’s string of current enrollment increases dates to the Spring 2023 semester, where a 2.2 percent jump from 2022 ignited SUNY Orange’s recovery from pandemic-era declines. Since that low point in 2022, the College has watched its headcount grow by 886 students (27.5 percent) and its full-time equivalent (FTE … a measure of academic credits taken) jump by 32.1 percent.

Among key demographic groups identified in the College’s Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Plan, Hispanic student enrollment has grown by 51.1 percent since Spring 2022 and Black/African American student population has grown 57.5 percent. College-wide retention efforts have helped the continuing student population increase by 25.5 percent in that span while there are 25.0 percent more adult students enrolled since 2022.

To learn more about SUNY Orange’s academic programs, visit www.sunyorange.edu/getstarted, or contact the A