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Historic Enrollment Growth

The Rock is on the rise with students and their families continuing to choose Slippery Rock University. SRU has welcomed its largest first-year class and the most graduate students on record for Fall 2026.
Crowded outdoor campus walkway packed with college students walking, carrying backpacks, and socializing.
1,627
first-year, full-time students, the largest class on record and a 5% increase compared to last fall.
Smiling female graduate wearing a black cap and gown receiving her doctoral hood during a commencement ceremony.
1,577
graduate students, the most in school history and a 2.6% increase from 2025.
Close-up of a grey lion mascot pointing both paws forward on a football field.
8,654
total enrollment, which is up 0.3% compared to last year.
Female state police officer shaking hands with a man in a suit on a green college campus lawn.
Cpl. Nicole Ludwig with SRU professor David Champion
Pennsylvania State Police Trooper patch featuring a central state seal emblem on a black keystone badge.

Pathway to Policing

A new partnership between SRU and the Pennsylvania State Police creates a direct pathway for criminology and criminal justice students to careers with the PSP. Through the agreement, students accepted into the PSP Academy can apply 15 credits of academy training toward their SRU bachelor’s degree during the second semester of their senior year. Students also gain early access to PSP recruiters and mentorship from troopers, along with on-campus workshops and academic guidance to help prepare for the academy and application process. The partnership connects classroom learning with hands-on preparation for a career in law enforcement.

Constructing Futures Together

SRU has partnered with the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters union in western Pennsylvania to empower carpenters to earn college credentials while fully employed.

Union members can earn their Bachelor of Applied Science in construction management at SRU as part of a pathway that honors apprenticeship learning, builds leadership capacity and strengthens the local construction workforce.

They can also earn one of three industry-recognized certificates at SRU to enhance their BAS degree.

SRU began offering a Bachelor of Science in construction management in Fall 2025 and the new BAS model will create a career-advancing pathway for professionals seeking an online degree program that honors both apprenticeship learning and opportunities to earn industry-recognized certificates to enhance their BAS degree.

Bright yellow hard hat and work gloves set against a background of black and yellow caution tape.
Green-toned illustration of a classic brick campus clock tower and university building exterior.

Rock-Solid Recognition

SRU continues to earn national recognition for delivering an exceptional education at an outstanding value. Three respected college guides have recognized SRU among the nation’s best for 2026, highlighting the University’s academic quality, affordability and student outcomes.

Best National University, Top Public School ­— U.S. News & World Report

First time in school history after previously ranked as a Regional University.
  • Best Mid-Atlantic — Princeton Review
  • Best Colleges in America — Money.com
  • Best Colleges for your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars — Washington Monthly
Together, these recognitions reinforce SRU’s reputation as a first-choice destination for students seeking a high-quality, affordable education.

Fulbright Ahead

Joveline Pettus, an SRU instructor of business, received the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award for the 2026-27 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

As part of the Fulbright international academic exchange program, Pettus will design and teach graduate-level coursework in digital ethics, leadership and strategic communication at Makerere University in Uganda.

Joveline Pettus smiling with braided hair framed by a green circular textured background.

Grammy Bound

SRU music professor Jason Kush is among more than 4,000 music creators, performers, producers, engineers and industry professionals worldwide invited to become Class of 2026 members of the Recording Academy, the organization behind the GRAMMY Awards.

Membership in the Recording Academy provides access to professional development, mentorship and networking opportunities while giving eligible voting members the ability to help determine GRAMMY Award nominees and winners.

Jason Kush in a green polo shirt gesturing as if conducting, overlaid on a background of musical sheet paper.
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