Although the coronavirus pandemic has changed nearly every aspect of our lives in recent months, it hasn’t significantly affected Penn State’s student enrollment just yet.

As of June 5, new-student enrollment for the summer and fall semesters stands at 16,744 students — an increase of approximately 0.4% compared to this time last year. New international student paid accepts are currently up 7% so far this year. Back in 2019, Penn State’s international student population increased from 10.7% of the student body to 10.8% for a total number of 10,416 students.

“These are unprecedented times and Penn State is agile and flexible in our academic enterprise,” Penn State spokesperson Wyatt DuBois said. “Those who can travel to Pennsylvania will be warmly welcomed, but we recognize that due to governments around the world placing travel restrictions in order to limit the spread of COVID-19, many new internationals are still in their home countries.

“Fortunately, Penn State is uniquely qualified in our commitment to our new students and to world-class remote delivery of coursework.”

These figures are merely preliminary and will likely continue to develop as the summer continues. However, as students face tough decisions amid the pandemic, the numbers may fluctuate more than they have in years past.

Penn State announced earlier this month it will return to in-person instruction this fall. Although more information will be provided in the coming months, university administrators have already outlined several changes to class structure and on-campus living.