Norfolk, VA, Sept. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In a higher education landscape defined by demographic pressures, intensifying competition and rapidly changing student expectations, Old Dominion University is demonstrating what is possible when an institution chooses to transform around the realities of today’s students. For the first time in five years, Old Dominion University began the fall semester with more than 24,000 students – a significant milestone and one of the clearest signs yet that the University’s Forward-Focused Digital Transformation is producing measurable outcomes in its very first fall.

The significance of Fall 2026 extends well beyond the 24,000-student threshold. Old Dominion University experienced widespread momentum rather than isolated gains, with broad-based growth across every student population at the center of its enrollment strategy. This milestone was propelled by an overall 14.5% rise in new students, including an unprecedented 14% surge in new freshmen, a 10.5% overall increase in new undergraduate students and a 24.4% jump in new graduate students.

The growth is particularly notable because it has not come at the expense of academic quality and student success. As more students are choosing Old Dominion University, the overall admit rate stands at approximately 89.48% – down from 96% in 2023 – demonstrating that this growth has been achieved while maintaining the University’s commitment to admitting every qualified student who desires access to a high-quality education.

At the same time, Old Dominion University’s retention rate has reached approximately 79.5%, up from a low of 71.7% in 2020. The nearly eight-percentage-point improvement represents meaningful progress in one of the most important measures of student success: not simply attracting students, but creating the conditions for them to stay, persist and progress toward their degrees.

The results in online education, an intentional focus of institutional transformation, are especially impressive. Overall, new online students increased by 31.8%, fueled by a 34.1% rise in new online undergraduate students, a 43.7% surge in new online graduate students and a 16.2% increase in new out-of-state online students. Those gains represent an early and powerful validation of Old Dominion University’s decision to fundamentally redesign its online learning model around the needs of today’s learners.

These results come at a consequential moment for higher education. Warning signs have become impossible to ignore: traditional college-age populations are projected to plummet, institutions are closing, and student expectations are rapidly shifting toward greater flexibility and career relevance. Old Dominion University decided it could not and would not wait for those forces to determine its future. Instead, the University deliberately reshaped itself for Monarchs of the future by developing multiple enrollment growth engines simultaneously by strengthening traditional undergraduate recruitment, while expanding opportunities for transfer students, graduate scholars, adult learners and online students.

For President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D., that willingness to anticipate change rather than react to it is central to Old Dominion University’s approach. “Innovation is not the disruption of tradition; it is the protection of the future,” President Hemphill said. “We began this work years ago knowing we would not see every result immediately. This fall provides clear and indisputable evidence that we were indeed prepared for a bold and promising future and one that has exceeded our initial expectations.”

The foundation for that work was established through the University’s five-year strategic plan, “Forward-Focused: Where Innovation Meets Possibilities,” unveiled by President Hemphill in 2023. The plan called for modernization across academic offerings, campus environments, technology infrastructure and the student experience. With the launch of the Forward-Focused Digital Transformation, Old Dominion University accelerated that vision through deliberate academic, technological and operational redesigns.

Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Brian K. Payne, Ph.D., noted: “Forward-Focused challenged us to think differently about how we deliver an Old Dominion University education while remaining steadfast in the academic rigor and quality that define it.” Payne continued, “Our responsibility is not simply to preserve the ways we have historically taught, but to ensure that our academic programs, curriculum and learning experiences continue to evolve alongside our students, our disciplines and the workforce they will enter. Flexibility and innovation do not diminish academic quality; when done intentionally, they strengthen our ability to engage students, support their success and prepare them for what comes next, and that’s exactly what we are doing.”

“This transformation came from a place of deep responsibility to the students we serve,” said Executive Vice President for Enrollment, Transformation and Technology and Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer Nina Rodriguez Gonser. “We believed that if we could remove unnecessary barriers, create greater flexibility and responsiveness and design an institution around the realities facing today’s students, they would choose Old Dominion University. This fall, they did. These results are powerful proof that our strategy is resonating, our legacy of access and opportunity remains at the forefront, and our University has never been stronger.”

Ultimately, the significance of surpassing 24,000 students is what the number represents: thousands of learners choosing an institution that proactively addressed their needs ahead of the market. As President Hemphill concluded, “Fall 2026 is not simply a milestone semester for Old Dominion University. It is the blueprint for the future of higher education and evidence of what can happen when an institution has the courage to anticipate change rather than wait for change to happen to it. Old Dominion University did not wait for the future to arrive. We built for it, and students are choosing to build their futures with us.”

About Old Dominion University: Old Dominion University, located in Norfolk, is Virginia’s forward-focused public doctoral research university with more than 24,000 students. A top R1 research institution offering rigorous academics, Old Dominion University is recognized nationally for academic excellence, social mobility and access. Military-friendly and home to an energetic residential community and robust initiatives that currently contribute $3.8 billion annually to Virginia’s economy, Old Dominion University is a leader in the Commonwealth. Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University, founded July 1, 2024, represents the most comprehensive health sciences center in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the forefront of digital innovation, Old Dominion University partnered with Google in October 2025 to launch MonarchSphere powered by Google Cloud, a first-of-its-kind AI incubator for higher education. 

 

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