Press Release January 26

Flushing, NY, January 26, 2023 — Queens College today announced that 1,022 new and returning students have enrolled in classes for the 2022-23 academic year—the most students of any City University of New York (CUNY) four-year school. This figure includes students who earned some college credit but left before earning a degree along with many students who graduated from high school but were unable to enroll in college due to personal circumstances stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The enrollment results are due in part to CUNY Reconnect, launched at the start of the Fall 2022 Semester, proposed by New York City Council Speaker Adrienne E. Adams and funded with the council’s advocacy. It will seek to help former students secure degrees or other credentials that improve their economic mobility and advance the city’s post-pandemic recovery.

The college also saw a dramatic increase in Winter Session 2023 enrollment, with a 75% jump from pre- to post-pandemic years 2018–19 to 2022–23. The college’s three-week Winter Session term offered over 70 undergraduate and graduate courses from a variety of disciplines, enabling current students to earn a maximum of four credits in courses that might otherwise fill up quickly in the fall and spring semesters. The shortened term also made it possible for new students to experience college life. Online and hybrid classes provided extra flexibility with scheduling.

“It comes as no surprise that students are returning home to—or taking their first steps toward—a Queens College education,” says Queens College President Frank H. Wu. “We offer an unrivaled combination of low-cost tuition and world-class academics on a beautiful 80-acre oasis in the heart of an urban metropolis. We are eager to welcome new and returning students to campus, where student life is thriving post-pandemic. They can prepare for careers and reclaim their future in a city that is doing the same.”

Former students who are interested in enrolling or re-enrolling in Queens College can learn more here.

Reconnect hired a team of navigators to work with prospective students and provide personalized support for their re-enrollment. These navigators, who speak six languages, guide prospective students through program selection and help them locate student support services and understand their financial aid options. Resources include access to small scholarships and streamlined access to the university’s 17 child-care centers. Navigators meet monthly to discuss the barriers they are encountering in their outreach, so that strategies can be adjusted.