Student Recruitment and Retention

There are a number of ways Gonzaga works to recruit and support students from underrepresented  or historically marginalized communities.  The  Recruitment and Retention workgroup of the Presidential Task Force on Accompaniment, Safety and Belonging has compiled the information presented here.

Scholarship & Fellowship Programs

In compliance with federal regulations, Gonzaga administers various scholarship and fellowship programs that promote equity and expand access to undergraduate and graduate students from underrepresented and marginalized communities.

• Unity Scholars Program: Unity Scholars is Gonzaga's premier scholarship program in support of the commitments listed in Gonzaga's mission: "The Gonzaga experience fosters a mature commitment to dignity of the human person, social justice, diversity, intercultural competence, global engagement, solidarity with the poor and vulnerable, and care for the planet. Grateful to God, the Gonzaga community carries out this mission with responsible stewardship of our physical, financial, and human resources." It is offered to 10 students from Washington each year.
• Cristo Rey Scholarship: Gonzaga’s full-tuition commitment to bridge the gap for college funding. Provides grant and scholarship aid to cover the cost of tuition plus an $11,000 housing grant to a select number of Cristo Rey students each year
• Gonzaga Access Pledge: The Gonzaga Access Pledge is Gonzaga's full-tuition commitment to bridge the gap for college funding. The Gonzaga Access Pledge provides grant and scholarship aid to cover the cost of tuition for first-year students throughout Washington state who demonstrate high financial need. To be eligible, students must be a Washington state resident.

Retention & Support Programs

A paid, full-time support position selected through a student-led hiring process is responsible for mentoring and providing comprehensive academic, professional, and institutional guidance to participants in these programs throughout their time at the university (see also Liaisonship work group).

• Unity Scholars Advising, Mentorship & Support: Four years of UMEC success coaching and a faculty mentor assigned at the end of their freshman year for the students’ remaining three years.
• BRIDGE Program: Pre-orientation programming, first-year peer mentoring, and community-building programming and socials to ease the transition of students to Gonzaga in their first year. This year UMEC will partner with CCP and Health Counseling Services for specific programing to cover Thriving in a PWI (2 part series in Fall) and in Spring cover topics such as Code Switching. We will also be partnering with Bio professor, Dr. Brian Connolly again this year to do a STEM Study Tips session for BRIDGE students.
• Launch NW Position Located on Gonzaga’s Campus: Advising and matriculation support for Launch Scholars, local students who are part of the Launch NW program.
• Recognizing Leadership Program: A first-generation college student program in collaboration with the Payne Center designed to strengthen leadership connections on campus and recognize individual gifts.
• Academic Advising & Assistance (AAA): While AAA does not currently have a dedicated, full-time position structured in the way described above, many of those functions are embedded in Gonzaga’s advising model. The professional advisors provide ongoing, relationship-based support to students, including academic guidance, connection to resources, and help navigating institutional processes. This model also allows more targeted efforts to provide structured, holistic support through coordinated outreach to students on academic probation and emerging programs like Strong Start (incoming freshmen flagged by admissions for academic concern). Despite the work not being centralized into a single role, the core elements of mentorship and accompaniment are integrated across the Advising Team’s work.

Programs & Partnerships in Logan, Hillyard and East Central Spokane

In partnership with schools and community organizations  the following programs actively support and encourage pathways to higher education for students in the Logan, Hillyard, and East Central Spokane neighborhoods.

• Opportunity Northeast (ONE) Initiative: ONE (coordinated through the Center for Community Engagement) is Gonzaga’s long‑term, place‑based initiative focused on improving outcomes for youth and families in Northeast Spokane—including Logan, Hillyard, and portions of East Central Spokane. One of its three focus areas is Educational Opportunity, explicitly centered on building a pathway of support toward postsecondary access and success for youth and adults living in Northeast Spokane. The initiative supports multi‑year school and neighborhood partnerships, seeks to align campus and community partners to enhance and strengthen this pathway, and creates a continuity of programming from elementary through postsecondary transitions.
• Center for Community Engagement: The CCE operates structured youth mentoring and academic support programs in four elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools, and at the Gonzaga Family, which serve students in the North Central and Rogers high schools feeder patterns. These programs provide consistent, multi‑semester engagement with Gonzaga students and encourage career and postsecondary preparedness and exploration. On average, 600 youth are involved in these programs annually.
• Academic Collaboration & Partnerships: Gonzaga’s School of Education, College of Arts & Sciences, School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment offer several academic collaborations and enrichment programs to schools across these neighborhoods. Examples of programs include Science in Action, Climate Literacy Project, Walking School Bus, Woldson Free Theater Productions (700 NE youth), Gonzaga Math Tutoring, and Sports Outreach at Gonzaga Family Haven. School and community-based partnerships include Northeast and East Central school/organizations.
• Zag For a Day: Zag for a day is a Center for Community Engagement program where students from Rogers and North Central High School are invited to campus to learn about specific programs that align with the students’ career interests. For example, students came during the spring 2026 term and worked with GU students in Health and Science. The experience included a panel discussion and a tour of the Health Science Building, Bollier, and Tilford’s Nursing facilities.
• Launch NW Partnership: Gonzaga serves as a LaunchNW MPower partner for the mentoring program found in several local high schools and also as a College Navigation Partner, at times hosting student groups who visit and offering to guide students and families with their questions. Gonzaga has assisted as LaunchNW planned a college visit and experience trip for students from rural areas outside of Spokane; Gonzaga staff helped build the schedule, invite speakers, and participate as speakers and advisors at the event. Launch NW also provides scholarships to students who attend Gonzaga and meet certain income requirements, and these students are supported by a LaunchNW College Navigator who is housed on the GU campus. Gonzaga Admission counselors work with the College Navigator and others in LaunchNW answering questions and connecting prospective and incoming students with resources they need to be successful.
• Catalyst College Immersion: The Catalyst Summer College Immersion is a free, week-long immersive college experience for 25 high school students living in Northeast Spokane. The majority of participating youth are from underrepresented populations and would be the first-in-their family to attend college. The program is focused on identity development, demystifying college experience, and the theme of becoming.
• Tribal Relations Summer Program: Like Catalyst, Tribal Relations Summer Program offers native students from Spokane and surrounding communities the opportunity to discover post-secondary pathways that honor their culture and future interests through a multiple day, on campus immersion. Youth build a sense of community among one another while learning more about the opportunities and resources available at institutions like Gonzaga.
• Cultural Club Partnerships: Over the past several years, Gonzaga’s cultural clubs have partnered with schools in Northeast Spokane (and more broadly) through opportunities that invite youth and families to annual cultural club events and offer school-based enrichment and relationship-building activities.
• Campus Visits: In partnership with Admissions, CCE, UMEC, and academic departments, Gonzaga hosts multiple on-campus visits throughout the year for Northeast school partners. Examples include an annual 5th Grade visits from Logan and Stevens elementary schools, Zags for a Day – a college exploration event for Rogers, North Central, and Gonzaga Family Haven high school students, and several others.
• SEAS Summer Immersion Program (SSIP): SSIP introduces high school students with an interest in math and science higher education and professional possibilities in engineering and computer science. All accepted students into the program receive a full scholarship, including all lodging, meals, and activities. Travel grants are also available to students residing outside of Spokane.

Public Reporting & Benchmarks

Annual public reporting and measurable benchmarks ensure transparency and accountability in recruitment, retention, advancement outcomes, and workload equity. The information in the charts below was sourced from:

• IPEDS Reporting
• Student Retention Reporting
• Recruitment Efforts and Outcomes Reporting

The charts below show annual application, admit, and confirm figures for different student populations from Fall 2020 to Fall 2025.

Black Students | Apply, Admit, Confirm Data |  2020 – 2025

Since 2020, the number of Black students who have applied to Gonzaga has increased 41%, from 474 to 668 and confirmed enrollments have risen 61%, from 33 to 53.

All Students | Apply, Admit, Confirm Data | Spokane County |  2020 – 2025

Applications from Spokane County students increased 79%, from 343 to 411, while confirmed enrollments grew 92%, from 82 to 147.

BIPOC Students | Apply, Admit, Confirm Data |  Spokane County | 2020– 2025

Confirmed enrollments from BIPOC students from Spokane County nearly doubled from 26 to 50 from Fall 2020 to Fall 2025.

All Students | Apply, Admit, Confirm Data | City of Spokane | 2020– 2025

BIPOC Students | Apply, Admit, Confirm Data |  Spokane County | 2020– 2025

International Recruitment

Gonzaga has been successful in recruiting international students of color, especially those students from historically marginalized, redlined, and low-income communities, including individuals with familial or ancestral ties to regions impacted by U.S. global violence (including Africa, West Asia, and Latin America).

Gonzaga Global actively recruits international students from all regions of the world. Since 2021, Gonzaga Global has enrolled students from countries such as Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Burundi, China, Ecuador, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Ukraine, Vietnam.