BINGHAMTON, NY – Binghamton University welcomes new and returning students and their families on Aug. 28 and 29, respectively, with move-in days signifying the beginning of the fall semester and a new academic year.

Approximately 2,550 freshmen, 1,189 transfer students and 1,185 new graduate students will join the Binghamton University community this year. Classes for all of Binghamton’s 16,000 students begin Tuesday, Sept. 2.

"Binghamton University is home to some of the brightest minds in the world, and we’re eager to open our doors to them," said President Harvey Stenger. "The arrival of our students signifies the beginning of another promising academic year, that will be full of outstanding achievement, academic excellence and growth."

The University received 28,449 freshman applications for fall 2014 admission. With an average high school GPA of 94 and SAT scores close to 1,300, the Class of 2018 is one of the most academically impressive in University history.

"I am impressed by the collective brainpower and academic achievements of the incoming freshmen class," said Provost Donald Nieman. "The Class of 2018 embodies the University’s commitment to excellence in education. Everything from their test scores to their experience in leadership positions tells me that this class will succeed and will leave a lasting impression on the University, the Binghamton community and — one day — the world."

Applications for graduate study have reached historic heights according to Susan Strehle, dean of the Graduate School, which received 4,780 completed applications for fall admission – an increase of 16 percent over last year.

Strehle explained, "For the second year in a row, we have enrolled the largest incoming group of outstanding new graduate students in Binghamton University's history. We are excited to welcome them to New York's premier graduate programs, and we all look forward to their success."

Nearly 1,189 highly talented transfer students with a mean GPA of 3.4 will also join the Binghamton University community this fall, including about 200 SUNY Broome Community College students, by far the largest number from any single community college. Another 200 students have signed up for the Binghamton Advantage Program, a special, dual-admission program with SUNY Broome, which allows students to become part of the University community and live on the Binghamton University campus while attending SUNY Broome.

Binghamton continues to have a diverse class, with the geographic distribution reflecting New York State’s population. About 39 percent of students are from upstate New York; 6 percent are from Broome and Tioga counties, 21 percent are from Long Island and 19 percent are from New York City.

Binghamton also expects a large number of new international students to join the campus community this fall. The 900-plus newly admitted international student population consists of approximately 335 undergraduate and 595 graduate students from over 40 countries, with the greatest numbers coming from China, India, South Korea and Turkey.