Houston, Texas, Sept. 22, 2026 – Houston Christian University proudly announces record-breaking enrollment for the Fall 2026 semester on the heels of two prior milestone enrollment years. The University welcomed 1,071 first-time freshmen, up from 954 in Fall 2025, reflecting a double-digit 12% year-over-year increase. Additionally, HCU enrolled 179 new transfers as well as a record 374 dual enrollment students who are currently high school juniors and seniors.
Total undergraduate enrollment surged to 3,142, compared to 2,819 in Fall 2025. Overall, HCU’s total student enrollment reached an all-time high of 5,285 students, up from 5,051 in the previous fall semester—a 5% overall increase.
“This fall we welcomed 1,071 new freshmen, the largest freshman class in HCU history. That represents an enormous amount of work by Enrollment, Financial Aid, faculty, Student Life and many others across campus,” said Sandy Mooney, Acting President of Houston Christian University.
As we celebrate another record-breaking year of enrollment, HCU is profoundly grateful for the visionary leadership of HCU President Robert Sloan who passed away unexpectedly on July 4, 2026, but left a strategic plan to guide the University into a future that continues to fulfill the University’s academic and faith-based mission.
“Our mission has not changed. We exist to provide a learning experience that instills in students a passion for academic, spiritual and professional excellence, grounded in our confession that Jesus Christ is Lord. Enrollment matters because it helps us carry out that mission, and we’re deeply grateful for the record class that has joined us this fall,” added Mooney.
The Fall 2026 semester’s enrollment numbers are a strong indicator of the University’s progress toward the Ten Pillars 2030 vision of enrolling 10,000 students by 2030. In alignment with this goal, HCU has broadened its academic offerings, reimagined its Liberal Arts core curriculum, expanded its infrastructure to include the Sherry and Jim Smith Engineering, Science & Nursing building, slated to open in Spring 2027, and expanded its housing options with the purchase and renovation of University Place.
As HCU continues to prepare the next generation of students for careers across a diverse spectrum of professions, the University pauses to reflect on this milestone as it broadens its visibility and reach and continues to evolve into one of the premier Christian universities in the region.
“We are so blessed that a record-setting number of freshmen chose to enroll at HCU this fall,” said James Steen, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing. “These students and their families value academic excellence grounded in faith, and they’re finding it here.”
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About Houston Christian University
For more than 60 years, Houston Christian University has equipped students to lead, collaborate and embody a deep sense of spiritual purpose. The University offers a wide range of majors, undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs, as well as NCAA Division I athletics in the Southland Conference. Located in the heart of one of the nation’s largest metropolitan centers, HCU’s culture of excellence molds the next generation of educated disciples to be pillars in their communities, preparing them to think critically and biblically as they impact the world.