Binghamton University received a record-breaking 74,725 applications for the fall 2025 semester, continuing the trend of increasing application rates over the past six years.

Out of 61,200 total first-year undergraduate applicants, over 3,160 freshmen enrolled in classes this semester. This marked a 15.5 percent increase from last year’s 53,001 applications. The University also received 4,575 transfer applications, a 12.1 percent increase from last year, and over 8,950 graduate applications, with 850 transfer students and 1,300 graduate students enrolling. About 14 percent of enrolled transfer students previously attended Broome Community College.

“Another record-breaking year of applications makes it clear that the University is growing its reputation as a desirable destination for incoming students,” President Harvey Stenger said in a statement to BingUNews. “Binghamton’s commitment to academic excellence, its ability to prepare students for graduate school and careers, and the quality of its physical facilities have made the University one of the premier public institutions in the nation.”

Around 550 new international students from over 50 countries also enrolled this fall, with the majority of students likely coming from India, China, Turkey, Bangladesh, Pakistan and South Korea.

The increase in applications is part of a nationwide trend of more students applying to college. In the 2024-25 application cycle, first-year student applications across the United States increased by 5 percent compared to the 2023-24 cycle, according to Common App data. Students from first-generation, low-income and underrepresented backgrounds are among the fastest-growing college demographics nationwide.

“Binghamton University has so much to offer to today’s college students, and it’s no surprise to see continuous growth in the number of students who choose to apply,” said Donald Hall, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, in a BingUNews statement.

Lily Scott, a freshman majoring in philosophy, politics and law, said she applied to the University because of its affordability, strong academics and dynamic social life. Scott said that by December 2024, she had decided to enroll if she was accepted.

“My main factor was cost,” Scott said. “I obviously wanted to go to college, but college can be so expensive, especially now and Binghamton was very affordable. It was a good mix of everything — it had the affordability and all the upsides of a public school, but it also had really good academics, really good social life, everyone here is really open to making friends.”

About 37 percent of this year’s new BU students, including Scott, come from Upstate New York, and 5 percent are local to Broome and Tioga counties. Around 21 percent of new students arrive from Long Island and 24 percent hail from New York City.

Classes began on Tuesday, Aug. 19 after an extended move-in weekend, which allowed for students to unpack and settle in.

“My congratulations to Binghamton’s newest students as well as the faculty and staff who have helped the University grow bigger, get better and attract brilliant, talented and high-performing students,” said Stenger.