Class of 2020 infographic (click to enlarge)

The University of Iowa Class of 2020 tops previous records in achievement, boasting nearly 800 Old Gold Scholarship recipients. Twenty-four percent of the class (1,360) are first-generation students, and half (2,848) are Iowa residents—a 16-percent increase from 2015.

“Our numbers show our continued commitment to expanding access to students who are the first in their family to go to college and are from Iowa, the country, and the world,” says P. Barry Butler, UI executive vice president and provost. “This is another talented class, and we’re looking forward to supporting them with the many opportunities we have available at the UI.”

The incoming class is made up of 5,643 students, 402 more than in 2015.

This includes 795 Old Gold Scholarship recipients, compared to 700 in 2015. Old Gold Scholars must have a 30 ACT (or combined SAT critical reading and math score of 1330), as well as a 3.80 GPA on a 4.00 scale.

Forty-two percent of the class (2,370) are residents of U.S. states other than Iowa, and eight percent (425) are international students. The class represents 95 of 99 Iowa counties; 41 states, as well as Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico; and 38 countries (including the U.S.).

Nineteen percent (1,095) identify as African American, American Indian, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, Asian, Latino(a), or two or more races.

This year, 24,476 undergraduates are enrolled at the UI, compared to 23,357 in 2015. Total enrollment this fall is 33,334 students, compared to 32,150 in 2015. Approximately forty-eight percent of the UI's students identify as male, 52 percent as female.

Graduate students total 5,698, versus 5,688 in 2015, and professional students total 1,837, compared to 1,799 in 2015.