Any Guesses? The 10 Universities With the Most Living Alumni
While watching the NCAA College Football National Championship game, I learned that Indiana University has the largest number of living alumni in the country, with an estimated 805,000.
That statistic stopped me in my tracks and got me thinking about the impact of alumni communities. Alumni play a critical role in the life of an institution. They help build and sustain pride, volunteer their time, connect with students and faculty about career opportunities, assist with recruiting future students, mentor students and support their alma mater through time, talent, and treasure.
Alumni populations continue to evolve. Today’s alumni include traditional students, those who attend fully online, and those whose experience blended in-person and virtual learning. At the same time, enrollment patterns are shifting, with fewer students choosing the traditional college path. All of this makes meaningful alumni engagement more important than ever.
Creating intentional opportunities to engage alumni strengthens institutional pride and deepens long-term relationships. For those alumni with the capacity, desire, and willingness to make a financial commitment, engagement is often the foundation that makes that support possible.
With that in mind, we thought we would share the top 10 institutions with the largest number of living alumni according to Almabase:
1. Indiana University 805,000
2. Penn State University 802,556
3. University of Michigan 697,287
4. UCLA 697,000
5. Ohio State University 600,000
6. University of Texas at Austin 600,000
7. Purdue University 600,000
8. Texas A&M University 593,000
9. University of California Berkeley 580,000
10. Michigan State University 550,000
No matter the size of an institution’s alumni base, there is opportunity to create engagement that is meaningful, inclusive, and impactful. Thoughtful strategy and intentional planning can help alumni of all ages stay connected in ways that matter to them and to the institution.
