It is my pleasure to introduce you to UW’s 2025-26 Factbook.
As Wyoming’s land-grant and flagship university, we have been proud to serve the people of Wyoming since 1886 and the facts and figures detailed within this Factbook help demonstrate our collective impact.
Within the following pages, you’ll find data on our enrollment, student success metrics, personnel, major initiatives, and more. Know that behind each of these data points are real people, making real changes every day to positively impact Wyoming and the world. I hope that the Factbook will inspire you to see the many ways UW transforms lives and communities and to imagine what we can achieve together.
Sincerely,
Ed Seidel, President
ABOUT UW
The University of Wyoming was established as the state’s Morrill Act land-grant university in 1886 and serves as Wyoming’s only public university. UW had a Fall 2025 enrollment of 10,819 students from all 50 states and 76 countries around the world. Students can choose from 220 majors, including 42 certificate programs, 85 bachelor’s programs, 58 master’s programs, and 35 doctorate/professional programs. The University of Wyoming offers courses at the main Laramie campus, the UW-Casper branch, and online.
UNIVERSITY ACCREDITATION
The University of Wyoming is institutionally accredited through the Higher Learning Commission. Additionally, four colleges hold specialty accreditation: Business, Education, Engineering & Physical Sciences, and Law; 26 programs also hold specialty accreditation. UW’s Student Health, Family Practice Centers in Cheyenne and Casper, Veterinary Lab, and Art Museum are also accredited.
Other colleges that support UW: Honors College and School of Graduate Education
GRADUATE STUDENTS – FALL 2025
FALL 2025 FIRST-TIME STUDENTS
3.53
Average High School GPA
1,444 Fall 2025
RESIDENCY
517 Non-Resident
927 Resident FIRST-TIME STUDENT SNAPSHOT
RETENTION RATE*
79%
Retained Fall 2024 to Fall 2025
44%
Graduated in 4 Years (2021 Cohort*)
GRADUATION RATES
61%
Graduated in 6 Years (2019 Cohort*)
STUDENT SUCCESS INITIATIVES
SADDLE UP
Comprehensive academic preparation program for incoming students.
1,310
Total attendees
1,217 first-time students; 89 new transfers; 4 other students Mentor to Student Ratio
7:1
COWBOY COACHING
Peer-to-peer mentoring program focusing on first-year and new transfer students.
Total Peer Mentors
88.8% of students who met with a Cowboy Coach at least twice in 2024-25 are enrolled in Fall 2025
772 Fall 2025
FALL 2025 NEW TRANSFER STUDENTS
3.26
Transfer GPA 64%
Percent transferring from a Wyoming Community College
76%
Retention Rate (Fall 2024 to Fall 2025*)
9%
Freshman: 68
15%
Senior: 114
66%
Graduated within 4 years after transferring to UW (2021 Cohort*)
6% Second Bachelors: 44
TRANSFER CLASS AT ENTRY
25%
Sophomore: 196
45%
Junior: 350
2,881
FALL 2024 FIRST-TIME, FULL-TIME STUDENTS
Percent receiving scholarships and/or financial aid
Average annual award package of those receiving financial aid (scholarships, loans, and grants)
Percent receiving institutional scholarships
of Wyoming H.S. graduates receiving Hathaway
2% Provisional: $1,680â€
888
First-time and transfer students
HATHAWAY SCHOLARSHIP
34%
Student headcount by Hathaway level, Fall 2024 – all recipients
50%
Honors: $3,360â€
ANNUAL STUDENT COSTS (2025-26)
2,892
Total number of recipients
†Yearly merit scholarship award per student.
*Includes $1,906 mandatory, $130 technology, and $810 average advising/program fees. **Includes $1,834 mandatory and $130 technology fees.
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT DEBT
64% of new first-time students who graduated with an undergraduate degree in 2024-25 had no student loan debt. For the students who had student loan debt from their time at UW, they owed an average of $24,649.
HATHAWAY STUDENT DEBT
Wyoming residents, particularly those receiving the Hathaway scholarship, were less likely to take out loans. For Wyoming students with Hathaway, 69% graduated without student loan debt; the 31% who took out loans had an average debt of $17,519.
(Fall 2025)
PERSONNEL (Fall 2025)
UW is transitioning from a national definition of instructional faculty to instruction combined with research and public service to more fully describe what faculty do. It is not directly comparable to prior years.
THE CAMPUS
UW OPERATIONS (Fall
2025)
Acres, Laramie Campus 1,984
Acres, Statewide 16,758
Buildings, Laramie Campus 221
Square Footage, Laramie Campus 7,589,003
Square Footage, Statewide 8,456,345
LIBRARIES
Physical collections 2.57M
Digital/Electronic collections 3.28M
Annual visits to libraries 391,288
Website visits 925,355
Wyoming residents with a library card have access to most UW Libraries online resources.
4% Utilities, Repairs and Maintenance, and Rentals: $21.8* 6% Internal Allocations and Transfers1: $30.8* 0%
68% Salaries, Wages, and Benefits: $360.6* OPERATING BUDGET AUTHORITY (FY26) 19% Services, Travel, and Supplies: $103.0*
RESEARCH
The University of Wyoming achieved Carnegie R1 (Research Intensive) university status in FY25. The University’s research enterprise continues to grow. Total awards increased from $150.5M in FY24 to $183.5M in FY25 – a 22% increase.
Examples of research at UW include:
• A multistate team led by UW devises strategies to control invasive species in the high plains’ rangelands and provide practical strategies for ranch management.
• UW researchers recently launched a Controlled Environment Agriculture Network, bringing together scientists, producers and industry partners to develop novel food-production technologies.
• UW leads/co-leads two regions in coordinating critical minerals research.
The Center of Innovation for Flow Through Porous Media (COIFPM) is one of the world’s largest, most advanced research facilities of its kind. It catalyzes sustainability, industry collaboration, and economic growth in Wyoming, and is a global leader in developing novel technologies for oil and gas recovery. The Wyoming Gas Injection Initiative aims to boost production in the State’s mature oil fields through an equal investment of $50M each by Wyoming and from companies. Since inception, the Center established 28 corporate and federal partnerships resulting in over $194M in total investment in the University and State.
The Wyoming Institute for Humanities Research (WIHR) supports highlevel scholarship across disciplines and fosters partnership among faculty, students, staff, and the public. WIHR awarded 15 travel grants for field research, archival work, and contributed to the publication of four books. It collaborated with other universities to initiate “Water in the West,” promoting interdisciplinary research on local and regional waterways.
Indicating the culture of innovation is thriving at the University of Wyoming, UW was listed in the National Academy of Inventors top 100 universities in the US with the most patents granted with 16 issued in 2024. The University also made the top 100 list in 2022. The University has made significant investment in the innovation enterprise through its investment in the Technology Transfer Office (TTO). The TTO is responsible for protecting, managing, and commercializing innovations developed by UW faculty and researchers. UW, through the NSF ART award that it received in 2024 has facilitated 9 Seed Translation Acceleration of Research (STAR) awards for the total of $950K, five of which are in collaboration with industry. In addition, the ART award also provided three seed grants of $10K each that resulted in two startup companies in FY24 – Cabonado LLC and MayPall LLC.
The University of Wyoming’s startup incubator IMPACT 307, supported 21 clients over the year. IMPACT 307 helps turn University of Wyoming innovations – from faculty research to student projects – into thriving businesses by providing hands-on mentorship, business development resources, and networking opportunities. IMPACT 307 continues to grow Wyoming’s startup ecosystem and advance the university’s impact on innovation and economic development. Recent successful graduates from the incubator include:
• Unlocked Labs develops biotics that target and eliminate harmful compounds linked to chronic illnesses.
• Uplink Robotics designs and manufactures custom-built inspection crawlers and robots for various industries.
The Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network is a key part of UW’s economic development mission. The SBDC Network empowers the state’s entrepreneurs through confidential, no-cost advising and educational programs. Trusted experts help businesses start, grow, and prosper through programs such as the Wyoming SBIR/STTR Initiative (WSSI) and the Wyoming APEX Accelerator, which connect innovators and businesses to federal funding and contracts. The SBDC also delivers critical insights through its Market Research and Cybersecurity for Small Businesses programs. The SBDC engaged with 1,297 unique clients over the course of the year resulting in over $8.5M capital infusion and over $104M in federal and state contracts and research & development awards to Wyoming small businesses. The SBDC also facilitated 52 business starts over the year.
The University of Wyoming’s Manufacturing Works, Wyoming’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership provides technical assistance, consulting, and workforce training to strengthen and advance the state’s manufacturing sector. Manufacturing Works helps manufacturers of all sizes enhance operational efficiency, adopt advanced digital, data-driven technologies associated with Industry 4.0, and improve overall competitiveness. These programs equip participants with practical tools and strategies to improve productivity, drive innovation, and sustain long-term business growth within Wyoming’s manufacturing community.
Over the course of the year, Manufacturing Works engaged with 165 unique clients resulting in $72.8M in retained and new sales, $3.7M in cost savings, and $43.6M in new investments.
HEALTH EDUCATION
Meeting Wyoming’s health care needs by:
• Transitioning oversight of Casper occupational therapy program from University of North Dakota to UW.
• Creating a physician’s assistant program to expand the primary care workforce in Wyoming.
• Residencies are training family practice doctors and serving patients in Wyoming communities.
46 Physicians currently training in family medicine in Wyoming
262
WWAMI graduates have returned to Wyoming
• Area Health Education Centers are helping meet primary care and mental health needs in three Wyoming communities.
• Providing clinical speech and audiology services in a new state of the art facility that also allows for teaching and research.
UW
EXTENSION: WYOMING SOLUTIONS TO PRACTICAL PROBLEMS
UW Extension brings university research and resources to the state’s 23 counties and the Wind River Indian Reservation.
• Wyoming 4-H helps youth develop lifelong leadership skills and connect with adult mentors through projects ranging from robotics to raising livestock.
• The Cent$ible Nutrition Program provides nutrition and physical activity education to Wyoming residents with limited resources, collaborating with more than 300 partners across the state.
• Agriculture and natural resource programs share research-based information on crop and livestock production, rangeland monitoring, farm and ranch economics, home gardening, pesticide safety, and more.
• Community health and wellness programs provide resources on topics ranging from nutrition, food safety, and physical fitness to tourism, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy.
158,592 Total Alumni
112,945: Alumni who received degrees
45,647: Alumni who attended at least one semester
Alumni by State (October 2025)
â—Ź 50-1,000
â—Ź 1,001-3,000
â—Ź 3,001-5,000
â—Ź 5,001-50,000
â—Ź 50,000+
>1,000 living outside the U.S.
*Includes unknown county data.
Institute for Managing Annual Grasses Invading Natural Ecosystems (IMAGINE)
IMAGINE uses coproduced science, outreach, and education programs to develop, implement, evaluate, and adjust statewide and regional strategies for mitigating impacts of invasive annual grasses in rangelands while empowering informed decision making by landowners and managers. In 2024, IMAGINE collaborated with hundreds of agency, private, and NGO partners and engaged 2,500 people across 17 Wyoming counties through education, outreach, and research.
College of Engineering and Physical Sciences (CEPS) K-14 Outreach Program
The CEPS K-14 STEM Education Outreach Office offers hands-on learning opportunities to Wyoming students and educators in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Their programs, such as classroom visits, field trips, and summer camps, aim to enhance STEM education and prepare students to pursue impactful careers in Wyoming and beyond.
Summer High School Institute (HSI)
Established in 1985 through the Wyoming Legislature, HSI is a threeweek pre-college summer camp serving Wyoming high school students. Students live in UW residence halls, take college-level courses, attend events, and participate in community service. Over the past 40 years, HSI has provided 3,469 high school students with an opportunity to experience college life.
Jay Kemmerer WORTH Institute
The Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, Tourism, and Hospitality (WORTH) Institute supports growth of the Wyoming visitor economy through research, workforce development, and statewide engagement. The institute, formerly an initiative, became an endowed institute in 202425, delivering programs and services across all 23 Wyoming counties.
Statewide Assistance with Tax Related Activities
The College of Business supports low- to mid-income Wyoming residents with taxrelated activities.
The Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) offers free legal aid for federal tax disputes, including consultation, representation, and community education. Business faculty members also partner with local organizations to provide tax return preparation through Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs.
Endowment value - FY25
Annual giving - FY25
$907,984,599
$69,428,957
ATHLETICS
The UW Cowboys and Cowgirls compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 level in 17 sports, including the Football Bowl Subdivision. Cowboy and Cowgirl teams are a part of the Mountain West Conference.
400
NCAA Division 1 Student Athletes
UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Kermit Brown, Laramie, Chairman
Michelle Sullivan, Sheridan, Vice Chairman
Laura Schmid-Pizzato, Rock Springs, Treasurer
Brad Bonner, Cody, Secretary
Dr. David R. Fall, Gillette
Mike Greear, Worland
Brad LaCroix, Newcastle
Carol Linton, Jackson
Jim Mathis, Wheatland
John McKinley, Cheyenne
Paul Ulrich, Pinedale
Tom Walters, Casper
EX-OFFICIO TRUSTEES
Mark Gordon, Governor of Wyoming
Ed Seidel, UW President
Paula Medina, ASUW President
Megan Degenfelder, Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction
Laurel Ballard, Executive Director, Wyoming Community College Commission
