By CIERRA RAYNER/Contributor
The university’s enrollment has grown significantly over the past few years. As a result, the university needs more parking and student housing. Administrators acknowledge this.
David Barron, vice president for enrollment management, said affordability and high-demand academic programs are fueling enrollment gains. He said the university’s beautiful environment, small class sizes and new medical school make UT Tyler an attractive option.
“Undergraduate enrollment grew by 7.34% this year, while graduate enrollment increased by 17.66%,” he said.
Records show enrollment climbed from about 10,500 in 2024 students to around 11,600 for the 2025 fall semester.
“Based on early data, I expect we will continue enrollment growth for fall 2026 in a similar fashion,” Barron said.
Parking
Assistant Chief of Police Bradley Standerfer said the police department is responding to growth by increasing patrols and improving video surveillance across campus.
“While we have seen an increase in traffic, we have been fortunate that our presence in and around campus buildings has helped to prevent an increase in criminal activity,” Standerfer said.
He said the peak demand for parking is on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This has opened overflow lots, provided shuttle services for the large events and encouraged faculty and staff to use alternate parking areas.
“Our team remains committed to adapting our strategies as UT Tyler evolves, prioritizing both safety and convenience for our students, faculty and staff,” Standerfer said.
Student Housing
Students say it can be challenging to get into on-campus housing.
Laura Hudson, a junior nursing student, said she faced difficulty securing housing last year.
Hudson said she applied for early housing but initially nothing available. After multiple emails over the summer, housing officials told her there was nothing they could do. Two weeks before classes began, she contacted the dean of students, and was finally assigned housing.
“I think there are many students with similar experiences like mine who need housing and may not have gotten it,” she said. “There are students now also like me who are worried that they won’t be able to get housing next semester either.”.
President Julie V. Philley said the university is addressing the need for more student housing.
“We don’t have enough housing,” Philley said. “Right now, we have just over 1,700 students living on campus. We are working on a plan to build new dorms, but that will take time. We’re trying our best to serve students as we work toward approval to move forward in 2026.”
Philley said the proposed housing project will be completed in two phases. The first phase is expected to add about 400 beds, followed by another 400 in the second phase, providing room for a rough estimate of 800 additional students.
Student Experience
Philley said more is being done to keep UT Tyler an attractive option and that enrollments gains likely will continue.
“We’re adding programs all the time,” she said. “We started a medical school, expanded business and engineering, and continue to improve the student experience. People want a good four-year university that’s affordable and easy to navigate.”
Philley said the university’s master plan includes renovating classrooms, improving accessibility, and building a pedestrian bridge across University Boulevard.
“Our focus is on students and their success,” she said. “We’re also looking at a new entrance to campus, better study and hangout spaces, and a more welcoming environment overall.”
Philley said it will take time to address all the challenges of growth.
“We’re working on it, and we’re available to students,” Philley said. “Even though we don’t have enough on-campus housing, there are options close to campus and walkable. I’m sorry because we can’t grow fast enough, but we have strong support from the University of Texas to move forward. It just takes a minute.”
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