BINGHAMTON, NY – Binghamton University welcomes new and returning students and their families on Aug. 21 and 22, respectively, with move-in days signifying the beginning of the fall semester and a new academic year.

Approximately 2,620 freshmen, 1,060 transfer students and 1,196 new graduate students will join the Binghamton University community this year. Classes for all of Binghamton’s approximately 17,200 students begin Thursday, Aug. 25.

"The Class of 2020 is one of the most academically impressive in University history," said President Harvey Stenger. "As we prepare to welcome this new class, admissions staff have been exceptionally busy processing a record number of applications – at a time when most colleges and universities are seeing a decline in enrollment."

Binghamton University received a record-high 32,106 freshman applications for fall 2016 admission, surpassing the previous record of 30,615 set in 2015. The admitted class has an average high school GPA of 95 and SAT scores slightly above 1,300 for critical reading and mathematics.

"This is a very special group of students and one of the most academically talented this institution has ever seen," said Provost Donald Nieman. "It’s no exaggeration to say that Binghamton continues to recruit the best and the brightest."

Applications for graduate study have reached historic heights according to Susan Strehle, dean of the Graduate School, which received 4,920 completed applications for fall admission – an increase of nearly 10 percent over last year.

"Interest in graduate degrees from Binghamton, especially master's degrees, is increasing as people realize that a bachelor's degree is no longer enough to ensure career success and flexibility," Strehle said.

Nearly 1,060 highly talented transfer students with a mean GPA of 3.5 will also join the Binghamton University community this fall, including about 177 SUNY Broome Community College students, by far the largest number from any single community college. Another 220 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.

"The overall increase in applications reflected in this year’s incoming class speaks directly to the great value, phenomenal research, outstanding academics and rapidly growing appeal associated with Binghamton University," said Assistant Vice Provost and Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Enrollment Randall Edouard. "We are proud as an institution to be bringing in this highly motivated group with diverse academic interests and leadership skills in a wide range of fascinating fields, and are excited to see how these students will make an impact on our campus."

Binghamton continues to have a diverse class, with the geographic distribution reflecting New York state’s population. About 32 percent of new students are from upstate New York; 7 percent are from Broome and Tioga counties; 26 percent are from Long Island; and 21 percent are from New York City.

Binghamton also anticipates a large number of new international students to join the campus community this fall. The 700-plus new international student population consists of approximately 300 undergraduate and 430 graduate students from over 45 countries, with the greatest numbers coming from China, India, Turkey and South Korea.