Impact & Highlights

Students and staff pose at the First-Gen Day of Service, hosted at Second Harvest Heartland.

 

At the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, first-generation college students form a vital component of the campus community, making up over a quarter of the undergraduate population. The First-Gen Student Success Center is dedicated to empowering these trailblazing scholars by fostering academic growth, personal well-being, and a deep sense of belonging. Explore key metrics, stories, and initiative highlights to see how the center actively drives success, builds community, and transforms the higher education experience for first-gen students across campus.

 

First-Gen Overall Enrollment Breakdown

28.1%
All UMTC First- Gen Undergrad Students
27.1%
UMTC First- Gen First-Year Students
42.5%
UMTC First- Gen Transfer Students

First-Generation Student Enrollment by College

College / SchoolShare of All First-Gen StudentsFirst-Gen Share Within College
College of Liberal Arts (CLA)43.0%32.3%
College of Science and Engineering (CSE)14.8%21.2%
College of Education and Human Development (CEHD)9.3%33.7%
Carlson School of Management (CSOM)8.1%19.8%
College of Biological Sciences (CBS)6.6%23.4%
College of Continuing and Professional Studies (CCAPS)5.2%48.0%
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS)4.7%25.9%
College of Design (CDes)4.4%27.2%
School of Nursing (SoN)2.6%32.7%
Health Sciences1.4%40.1%

Program Affiliations & Student Demographics

First-Generation Student Program Affiliations
Program AffiliationPercentage
Live on Campus (1st Year)50.2%
President's Emerging Scholars (PES)18.7%
Honors Program4.1%
TRIO3.7%
Student Athlete0.6%

 

First-Generation Student Demographics and Financial Support
Gender & Financial StatusPercentage
Female58.8%
Pell Grant Recipients62.1%
BIPOC (Total)69.8%
Both BIPOC and Pell Grant Recipients49.4%

 

First-Generation Student Geographic Residency
Geographic ResidencyPercentage
Metro MN Residents73.5%
Greater MN Residents14.3%
Reciprocity State Residents6.9%
Out-of-State Non-Reciprocity4.6%

Race and Ethnicity Breakdown

Racial and Ethnic Distribution Among First-Generation Students
Race / EthnicityPercentage of First-Gen Population
Black / African American32.0%
White29.0%
Asian21.1%
Hispanic / Latino13.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native2.9%
Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.2%

First Year Retention Rates

First-Year Retention Rates Comparison
Student CategoryFirst-Gen StudentsNon-First-Gen Students
New High School (NHS)87.0%92.0%
New Advanced Standing (NAS)82.8%87.3%

Graduation Rates

4-Year and 6-Year Graduation Rates Comparison
TimeframeFirst-Gen StudentsNon-First-Gen Students
4-Year Graduation Rate59.2%74.3%
6-Year Graduation Rate81.7%86.5%

 

Download the First-Gen Snapshot  (print-only PDF)