Liberty University sets record for largest incoming undergraduate on-campus class

Excitement for the new school year continues to grow at Liberty University, as students celebrated the first day of classes on Aug. 24 with a large worship event and ended the week with the annual Block Party.

With the new school year fully underway, the university announced that it welcomed its largest new student residential undergraduate incoming class in history, at 4,838 (including transfer students).

Over 16,000 total students are attending residentially for Fall 2026. With the opening of a new residence hall, North Suites, more than 9,500 students are living in campus housing.

Overall enrollment across Liberty’s residential, online, and Liberty University Online Academy (K-12) programs now tops a record 167,000 students. Liberty remains the largest university in Virginia and one of the largest private, nonprofit universities in the nation.

“Liberty University’s growth is a tremendous testament to God’s faithfulness and His blessing upon this place,” President Dondi E. Costin said. “Every student who chooses Liberty represents a family who has placed their trust in us to provide an education that develops the whole person academically, professionally, and spiritually. We are deeply grateful that more families are choosing an education grounded in biblical truth and academic excellence.”

The current residential population includes students from all 50 states and over 70 countries.

As a pioneer in distance learning and longtime leader in online education, Liberty has now surpassed 130,500 students pursuing degrees from across the nation and around the globe through its online program. A record 20,850 students are enrolled with Liberty University Online Academy.

The upward trend extends across academic programs. Liberty University School of Law welcomed a record number of incoming first-year law students (1L) this fall, further contributing to the university’s growing residential population.

At a time when enrollment at many colleges and universities nationwide is trending downward, Liberty’s continued growth can largely be attributed to its unwavering commitment to its biblical foundation and Christian mission, reassuring parents, alumni, and donors that it will not falter like many of the nation’s historic universities that were founded on the Christian faith. Today, more families are looking for a university like Liberty.

“Liberty University has, and always will, Train Champions for Christ,” Costin said. “There’s no risk at all that we’re going to be diverted from our mission. Liberty is a unique entity in all of higher education but certainly in Christian higher education. We get to witness every day the answers to the prayers that our founder, Dr. Jerry Falwell, prayed decades ago. There’s no place on the planet like Liberty.”

Increasing academic enrollment is a key goal within Liberty’s 2024-29 Strategic Plan, allowing the university to expand its reach and impact through targeted recruitment strategies, enhanced scholarship opportunities, and innovative academic offerings. Liberty’s leadership is committed to exercising discernment in planning for Liberty’s growth in ways that will not diminish the students’ experience.