The Class of 2029 arrived at UCF with record-breaking GPAs and test scores, eager to learn from world-class faculty and leverage the university’s strong industry partnerships as they prepare for their careers of choice.
During the next four years, students will help develop new space technologies, seek out cures for diseases and learn how to harness artificial intelligence technology, all alongside expert faculty and dedicated staff mentors. They will learn and grow at a university boldly daring to invent the future — in a city that offers them so many opportunities as one of the nation’s fastest-growing tech hubs.
UCF is committed to helping the new class thrive and graduate on time. The university offers students support from academic success coaches who work with them one-on-one to plan the best path to achieve their goals. The Kenneth G. Dixon Career Center, Student Academic Resource Center, Mathematics Assistance and Learning Lab and the University Writing Center are among many resources dedicated to supporting students.
Given UCF’s national reputation for innovation and strong support for student success, it’s no surprise that demand for a UCF education is at a record high. The university received 61,800 applicants — the most ever — with 8,400 first-time in college students enrolling this fall.
Preliminary statistics indicate the incoming fall first-year class has an average GPA of 4.24 the strongest to date for an incoming class, and average SAT and ACT scores of 1347 and 29.2, respectively.
“It’s an exciting time to be a new or returning student at UCF,” Student Government President Luci Blanco says. “Welcome (back) to a university where you have the unique opportunity to discover new passions and turn skills into lifelong opportunities. I am so inspired by the many talented and driven students. Together we are the energy and possibility that makes UCF so special.”
When these students graduate, they likely will make a big impact on the State of Florida. Eighty-five percent of UCF’s new graduates stay in the state, and UCF alumni contribute $6.7 billion in added annual income for Florida’s economy, according to the Lightcast Economic Impact Study.
Building Talent, Driving Impact
UCF’s new freshman class arrives as the university is strengthening its commitment to Florida’s talent pipeline with the addition of new faculty and degree programs. UCF continues to align its academic programs with the needs of vital industries that power Florida’s economy and provide students with strong employment opportunities.
This fall, a record 39 new faculty members join the College of Engineering and Computer Science’s (CECS), the third consecutive academic year that CECS has appointed more than 30 new faculty members. With world-class expertise in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, hypersonics and semiconductors, CECS’ new faculty continue to drive UCF’s mission forward by empowering students to lead the future in fields such as aerospace engineering and machine learning.
The new CECS faculty not only benefit the college, but every college at UCF as interdisciplinary collaboration and integrating technology across disciplines is embedded in the university’s teaching and research practices.
“In our rapidly evolving society, we need engineers, innovators, creators and critical thinkers who, working together, can transform bold ideas into reality,” President Alezander N. Cartwright says. “Our job is to prepare problem-solvers who are ready to lead — whether that is developing new medical technologies, designing sustainable cities, inventing immersive digital experiences or creating solutions for industries that do not yet exist.”
Scaling Access to In-Demand Degrees
To provide future change-makers more paths to making an impact and meeting workforce needs across healthcare, engineering and space, UCF has also unveiled new undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The health informatics bachelor’s program is a multidisciplinary field that incorporates information technology and computer science with clinical expertise and management to provide better patient care. A new planetary and space sciences doctoral program will prepare students to become leaders in the global planetary research and exploration community.
Two graduate certificate programs in local government management and digital twins were also launched, as well as five new graduate degree tracks in clinical psychology, computer engineering, electrical engineering, human factors and cognitive psychology, and planetary and space sciences.
The addition of these programs means more academic and research opportunities for students.
