Bradley University enrolled more new students this fall, including a sizable increase in first-year students, but its overall headcount continued to shrink. The university reported 3,963 students in its fall census—the first time enrollment has dipped below 4,000 in records going back to 1990—as larger graduating classes outnumbered smaller groups still studying there.
Key takeaways
Bradley’s enrollment picture is mixed: incoming undergraduate numbers rose, while total enrollment and new graduate enrollment declined. University officials say the larger first-year class offers momentum, but they expect overall growth to take several years.
- Total enrollment was 3,963, down from 4,242 last fall.
- First-year enrollment rose 36%, from 642 to 876.
- Bradley counted 1,160 new students overall, including transfers and graduate students.
First-year enrollment gains
The fall census showed 876 first-year students, up from 642 in fall 2025. Transfer enrollment also increased, rising to 180 from 150. Together, the figures contributed to a total of 1,160 new students at the university.
Bradley Vice President for Enrollment Management, Marketing and Communications Angie Cooksy described the first-year increase as an encouraging sign. She said recruitment is highlighting the university’s personal attention, hands-on learning and student opportunities.
Overall enrollment remains below 4,000
Despite the increase among new undergraduates, Bradley’s total enrollment fell by 279 students from 4,242 a year earlier. The 2024 total was 4,777, the first time in the university’s records that enrollment had fallen below 5,000. This fall’s count marks a further milestone: the first recorded total below 4,000 since the available records began in 1990.
Cooksy attributed the decline in part to larger classes graduating and smaller classes remaining enrolled. She said the university expects the overall number to recover as the incoming classes progress through their studies, with a goal of moving above 4,000 in the next few years.
Graduate enrollment declines
New graduate enrollment dropped to 104 students, compared with 153 in fall 2025. The decline offset some of the gains among first-year and transfer students, leaving the university’s new-student total higher even as its overall headcount fell.
Bradley President James Shadid said the university is building on its strengths and creating new opportunities for students. He pointed to the larger first-year class as a reason for optimism about the institution’s direction.
