The Class of 2025 will mark one of the most accomplished incoming fall freshman classes in history as UCF students return to campus for the fall semester and the start of classes on Aug. 23.

Preliminary statistics indicate the incoming fall freshman class has an average GPA of 4.22, the strongest to date for an incoming class, and average SAT and ACT scores of 1323 and 28.6 respectively. UCF will also welcome 107 National Merit Scholars, the highest number in history for an incoming class.

The incoming class reflects UCF’s commitment to excellence and diversity, with students of color comprising 46 percent.

UCF expects a fall enrollment of approximately 69,000 to 70,000 students.

“Students are looking forward to a return to in-person classes and activities and are excited for the opportunity to be reunited with their Knight Community,” says Student Government President Meg Hall. “We are excited to cheer on the Knights at the Bounce House, strengthen our relationships with our peers and faculty members, and have a successful academic year.”

This fall will be the first semester for several new programs that target high-demand fields. UCF is beginning master’s degree programs in cybersecurity and privacy, computer vision, and themed experience, as well as a bachelor’s degree program in data science.

Health Precautions and Protocols

UCF is returning to pre-pandemic operations in alignment with directives from the State of Florida and Florida’s State University System. In accordance with the CDC’s latest guidance, UCF expects students, faculty and staff to take personal precautions, including wearing masks indoors and getting vaccinated if they are able to do so to protect themselves.

Vaccines for students, faculty and staff are available at no cost at UCF’s Student Health Center. Vaccines also will be made available at select events during Pegasus Palooza, UCF’s multi-day welcome-back celebration for students.

Free COVID-19 testing will be available for students and employees. UCF also will continue to conduct contact tracing for positive cases and will operate a COVID-19 hotline available seven days a week for the campus community.

Increased cleaning and daily classroom disinfections will continue on UCF’s campuses. During the pandemic, many touchless faucets, paper-towel dispensers and step-and-pull door openers were installed in high-touch areas. HVAC systems across UCF’s campuses also have been upgraded over the past year to mitigate the spread of pathogens through the air.

UCF will also continue to use genomic surveillance to identify variants on campus, and conduct wastewater testing to identify any hotspots and intervene to prevent further spread.