Lincoln, Neb.--According to the fall census, the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts’ first-time, freshmen class grew 5 percent from 180 to 189 students.
This was the second year in a row for freshman class growth. Last year, the college’s freshman class was up 19 percent from 151 to 180.
The student census is taken annually on the sixth day of classes.
“Our faculty and staff are to be commended for their strong recruiting of freshmen students the last two years,” said Emily Griffin Overocker, senior director of student success for the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts. “This was also the first year of professional advising in the college, which I think also influenced our freshman class.”
Some of the areas that saw overall undergraduate growth included Acting (up 13.2 percent), Art (up 2.2 percent) and Music (up 3.1 percent).
In addition to Nebraska, undergraduate students in the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts hail from 23 other U.S. states and nine international countries.
The college’s retention and graduation data was also positive.
The Hixson-Lied College’s graduate rate is the highest it has been in 10 years. For those students who started in the college and graduated in the college, the rate is 50.6 percent. For those who started in the college and graduated at UNL, the rate is 54.1 percent. (By comparison, the rate for those who started at UNL and finished at UNL is 51.9 percent.)
The college’s retention rate between first and second years was also up. The percentage who started in the college fall 2024, who are still in the college in fall 2025, was 76.1 percent. (Across the university, retention to college is 69.2 percent.) The percentage who started in the college fall 2024, who are still at UNL is 87.8 percent (Across the university, the percentage is 85.7 percent.)
In addition, the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts most recent graduates had the highest average GPA in the last 10 years at 3.65.
Overall University of Nebraska–Lincoln enrollment was 23,954, a slight decline of 38 students or 0.2 percent, compared to fall 2024. However, undergraduate enrollment grew by 73 students to 19,378. First-time freshmen increased by 84 students or 1.8 percent, totaling 4,734.
Overall college undergraduate enrollment was down slightly by 2.4 percent from 838 to 818 students. Graduate enrollment remained steady at 124 students.
The steady success reflects the university’s continued commitment to its land-grant mission: providing accessible education, serving Nebraska’s workforce needs and preparing graduates who contribute to the state’s economy and make community impacts.
