This year’s freshmen, the Class of 2018, stand out in SLU’s Fall 2014 census. The class boasts a mean GPA of 3.85 and an average ACT score of 27.6, both of which are all-time University records. In addition, nearly a third of the freshman class scored above a 30 on the ACT, placing them in the top 4 percent of students nationally that took the test.

The freshman class is diverse as well. The third largest class in University history, its 1605 students come from 44 U.S. states and more than 20 foreign nations. In addition, nearly 75 percent of the class comes from outside the Saint Louis area.

Of these freshmen, approximately 70 percent wish to study abroad sometime in their undergraduate career, and 96 percent are motivated to become a part of the various SLU volunteer and community outreach programs. Over 600 of the students previously attended Jesuit or Catholic high schools, and 850 earned high-level scholarships for their academic merit and leadership.

The most popular majors among the Class of 2018 are biology, nursing, and physical therapy, although the numbers of students studying business, engineering, and public health continue their upward trend. The most common first names in the freshman class are Emily and Matthew.