Northwest surpasses 10,000 students for first time

Ten days after reporting another record headcount during its fall census, Northwest Missouri State University reports today that an updated headcount shows the institution has a new record 10,083 students enrolled.

Northwest annually conducts its enrollment census 20 days after the start of the fall semester, and the University announced this year’s fall census, recorded on Sept. 18, showed a total headcount of 9,664 students. Under the guidance of the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, that census reporting fulfills state and federal compliance requirements. Census numbers also are reported to Northwest’s accrediting body, the Higher Learning Commission.

However, enrollment numbers fluctuate throughout the academic year due to Northwest programs – particularly for graduate, certificate and dual credit students – that service the region, offer professional development opportunities and do not follow a traditional academic calendar. As a result, Northwest continues to experience unprecedented growth in its dual credit, graduate and online sectors.

As of Thursday, Northwest increased both its undergraduate and graduate headcounts to 5,615 and 4,468, respectively.

The University’s updated in-state student population is 6,851 as Northwest students hail from a total of 46 states this fall and the institution continues to draw well from Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska.

Undergraduate applications for 2024 spring, summer and fall terms are now open, and prospective students are encouraged to apply early. For more information on how to apply to Northwest, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/admissions/.

Students cross Northwest's main campus this fall in Maryville. (Photos by Lauren Adams/Northwest Missouri State University)

About Northwest Missouri State University

Northwest is a coeducational, primarily residential four-year university that offers a broad range of undergraduate and selected graduate programs on its Maryville campus as well as its Northwest-Kansas City location and through Northwest Online.

Founded in 1905 and ranked by U.S. News and World Report among the top public regional universities in the Midwest, Northwest boasts a high retention rate and a graduation rate in the 95th percentile of its peers. Additionally, results of the 2021 Ruffalo Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory show Northwest students are more satisfied than students at national peers, and 80 percent of Northwest students report they would repeat their University experience, compared to 77 percent of students surveyed nationally at their respective institutions.

Furthermore, 97 percent of Northwest bachelor’s degree earners and 99 percent of master’s degree earners secure employment or continue their education within six months of graduation, according to the most recent data.

Northwest's emphasis on profession-based learning, combined with providing students tools they can use to be successful in and out of the classroom, helps a high percentage of students secure employment or continue their education.

Northwest places a high emphasis on profession-based learning to help graduates get a jumpstart on their careers. Students have opportunities to build their résumés with experiences on campus in nearly every area of study, including the Horace Mann Laboratory School, National Public Radio affiliate KXCV, the R.T. Wright Farm, Mozingo Outdoor Education Recreation Area or Knacktive, a student-driven integrated digital marketing communications agency. In conjunction with its emergency and disaster management program, Northwest organizes and hosts Missouri Hope, an annual mass casualty training exercise that attracts first responders and emergency workers from throughout the nation and provides hands-on training in preparation for a natural disaster.

The University’s vibrant and diverse learning community also offers more than 150 student organizations, and textbooks and a laptop are included in tuition, which is among the lowest in the nation, saving students an estimated $6,800 over four years. Northwest offers 1,200 student employment positions, allowing students to build professional skills through its internationally benchmarked student employment program. 

For more information about Northwest and its performance, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/aboutus/facts/.