Class of 2026: Let’s Get Back to Business

Class of 2026 on Tenney Field, celebrating the beginning of their first moments as students at Marist College. Courtesy of Marist College via Instagram

After two years of protocols, guidelines and other regulations, the students of Marist College have returned to campus in full force. The incoming Class of 2026 was welcomed to campus for a normal semester and has hit the ground running. 

This freshmen class is distinctive because it is the biggest in Marist's history. According to the Office of Admissions, the first-year class has a total of 1,341 students. This group of students is also highly diverse; 57% of students hail from outside New York State, coming from 34 different states and 26 foreign countries. In addition to this, 26% of the class identifies as students of color. According to Marist’s website, 24.2% of freshmen that enrolled in the class of 2020 identified as students of color.

The most popular programs within the Class of 2026 include majors in business, communications, fashion, education, the sciences and technology. 

A class of this size contradicts the enrollment trends seen over the past few years at many institutions of higher education. As reported by the Education Data Initiative, the total number of students enrolled in a college/university reported in 2022 is about 20,031,000, which is about 296,000 less than last year. However, 2020 was the lowest recorded enrollment rate in over a decade at 18,991,798 students.

The pandemic also stopped many students from visiting particular colleges or getting to meet new people; however, the Class of 2026 is hopping right in without stopping. 

Maya Christie ’26 commented on her college transition, saying, “I adjusted pretty fast because we were doing so many activities the first week.”

Dena Tzakas ’26 agreed, saying, “I am looking forward to making memories with my friends.”

Since enrollment rates are now on the rise again, Marist Admissions reported that the target size of a freshmen class for the foreseeable future typically hovers around 1,300 people.