Winthrop has 5,500 students this fall, up 212 from last year and 806 since 2023. Undergraduates rose 4.6% to 4,485, the university said Friday.

Winthrop University has 5,500 undergraduate and graduate students this fall. It is the first time since 2020 that the Rock Hill university has reached that total, Winthrop said Friday.

Enrollment is up 212 students, or 4%, from fall 2025. The figures are Winthrop’s final fall enrollment numbers, published in a university release on Oct. 16.

The numbers

According to Winthrop:

  • Undergraduates: 4,485 students, up 196, or 4.6%.
  • Graduate students: 1,015, up 17, or 1.7%.
  • Three-year growth: up 806 students, or 17.2%, since fall 2023.
  • Five-year growth: up 326 students, or 6.3%, since fall 2021.
  • Credit hours: 66,366, up 1,721, or 2.7%, from fall 2025.

The release gives the changes, not the earlier totals. Working back from 5,500, Winthrop had about 5,288 students in fall 2025, 4,694 in fall 2023 and 5,174 in fall 2021. That means enrollment fell after 2021 and has since recovered past where it was.

Bar chart of Winthrop University total enrollment: 5,174 in fall 2021, 4,694 in fall 2023, 5,288 in fall 2025 and 5,500 in fall 2026. Earlier years are calculated from the increases Winthrop reported.
Winthrop University total enrollment by fall semester. Chart by Rock Hill Today; data Winthrop University.
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Why Winthrop says students are coming

President Edward Serna pointed to new degree programs, merit scholarships and the newly elevated Honors College. The university also cited its Tuition Transparency Initiative, more dual enrollment options for high school students and more scholarship money.

“It clearly resonates with students and their families that we have been proactive in ensuring our tuition and fees reflect our commitment to both academic quality and affordability,” Serna said.

Amanda James, vice president for enrollment management and marketing, said she expects the new Winthrop Scholars Guarantee to keep attracting top students. South Carolina high school students who graduate in the top 15% of their class are guaranteed admission and at least $5,000 in Winthrop scholarship money for the fall 2027 semester. There is no income limit.

What it means for you

  • High school seniors and parents: a South Carolina senior in the top 15% of the class is guaranteed a place at Winthrop and at least $5,000 in scholarship money for fall 2027, under the terms in the university’s Oct. 1 release.
  • Dual enrollment: Winthrop said it has added more dual enrollment options, which let high school students earn college credit.
  • Coming next: Winthrop plans to enroll the first students in a new advanced manufacturing engineering degree in fall 2027, pending state and accreditor approval. The city of Rock Hill is giving the university $250,000 toward it, Winthrop said in a Sept. 15 release.

For schools across the city, see our guide to Rock Hill schools.