Calvin welcomes strong incoming class for Fall 2026
Calvin University is welcoming another strong incoming class of students for the fall 2026 semester, with more than 1,000 new students expected to join the Calvin community.
The incoming first-year class is expected to surpass the university’s goal of 775. This marks the fourth consecutive year Calvin has welcomed more than 1,000 new students across all of its incoming student populations.
“This incoming class is further evidence that more students and families are looking for the distinctive value Calvin provides through rigorous academic and career preparation, deep character formation, and a Christ-centered community where faith shapes every aspect of life,” said Calvin University President Greg Elzinga. “We are grateful for the students and families who have chosen Calvin, and we look forward to seeing how God will use their gifts, experiences and aspirations to shape our community. We are also deeply thankful for the faculty, staff, coaches, alumni and others who have helped make Calvin a place where students can learn, grow and flourish.”
Meet the incoming class
The first-year class includes students from a wide range of backgrounds and communities. Nearly two-thirds are from Michigan, while others are coming to Calvin from across the United States and internationally. The class also includes a significant number of student-athletes and students who have a family connection to Calvin.
Calvin is also welcoming a strong group of transfer students this fall, with 87 students currently committed to enroll, exceeding the university’s goal of 80. Transfer students will participate in Fall Orientation and Welcome Week alongside first-year students.
The university also expects to welcome more than 80 new graduate students for the fall semester, with additional graduate enrollment anticipated as the university moves toward the second session of the semester.
Beyond traditional undergraduate and graduate enrollment, Calvin is welcoming students through a variety of additional pathways, including adult degree completion, dual enrollment, post-baccalaureate programs, re-admission and other programs serving learners throughout the university.
Moving onto campus
New students have already begun arriving on campus, including fall student-athletes and participants in Calvin’s wilderness programs. International students are arriving from around the world, with the remainder of the incoming class arriving Aug. 27 for Fall Orientation and Welcome Week.
“Every new student brings a unique story, set of experiences and sense of calling to Calvin,” Elzinga said. “We are excited to welcome them and to begin another year of learning and living together as a community.”
Calvin’s fall semester begins on August 31 following Fall Orientation and Welcome Week, when new students will have opportunities to connect with classmates, faculty and staff and become part of the Calvin community.
Check out the activity: https://calvin.edu/admitted/welcome-week-orientation
About Calvin University
Founded in 1876, Calvin University is a top-ranked, liberal arts institution that equips its 3,700 students from 50 U.S. states, 62 countries, and six Canadian provinces to think deeply, to act justly, and to live wholeheartedly as Christ’s agents of renewal in the world. Calvin offers 100+ majors and programs, including a growing portfolio of graduate-level offerings. Calvin students engage in intensive internships, community-based service learning, and significant research that results in publishing and presenting alongside world-class faculty. The university’s 400-acre campus is in the vibrant city of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Discover more at www.calvin.edu.
