Roosevelt University is growing—and that growth is changing who the University welcomes through its doors. The 2026–27 academic year marks Roosevelt’s fourth consecutive year of enrollment growth, with an increasingly diverse student population calling the University home. This includes a 30% increase in new and continuing students from Chicago’s South and West Side communities over the past two academic years. Additionally, more than 70% of the 2025 first-year class self-identified as people of color.
These changes reflect Roosevelt’s enduring appeal and historic commitment to making a college degree accessible to anyone who is academically qualified.
“Enrollment growth is about more than numbers—it’s about the students behind those numbers and the opportunities we’re creating for them,” says President Ali Malekzadeh. “As our student population grows and evolves, so does our responsibility to ensure every student has the resources and support they need to thrive throughout their Roosevelt experience.”
Alumni and donors will play a critical role in addressing Roosevelt’s utmost priority: student success.
This month, the University officially launches its newest fundraising initiative, Roosevelt Students Succeed, focused on expanding opportunity, enriching the student experience and building resilience. The initiative challenges University leadership and donors to consider three essential questions:
- How can we help students get to Roosevelt and remain financially able to stay?
- How do we help students make the most of their education?
- How will we help students overcome challenges that could stand between them and graduation?
The three priorities outlined in Roosevelt Students Succeed serve as answers to these questions. Gifts of opportunity remove financial barriers and expand access to education. Gifts of experience provide transformative learning opportunities in and beyond the classroom. And gifts of resilience help students navigate unexpected challenges and stay on track to complete their degrees.
“We hope Roosevelt Students Succeed helps donors see how their philanthropy directly supports student success and strengthens the University,” says Jared Fritz-McCarty ’11, vice president of advancement.
The University recently closed its strongest fundraising year since fiscal year 2017, receiving nearly $10.4 million in private charitable contributions. Since 2019, alumni and friends have contributed more than $40 million.
“This generosity demonstrates a deep and enduring belief in Roosevelt’s mission and the power of a Roosevelt education,” Fritz-McCarty says.
That transformative power is reflected in research on Roosevelt graduates. A New York Times study found that 22% of Roosevelt graduates moved up two or more income quintiles after graduation, placing Roosevelt among the Illinois colleges with the highest rates of social mobility.
“A Roosevelt degree can change the trajectory of a student’s life—and potentially that of their family for generations,” Malekzadeh says. “That gift is invaluable. That is the gift Roosevelt Students Succeed aims to provide.”
The Roosevelt Students Succeed thematic fundraising initiative aligns with the University’s new strategic plan, RU30. The strategic plan aims to solidify Roosevelt’s position as a leading educational institution by 2030.
