Feb. 13, 2024

Northwest achieves record spring enrollment for third consecutive year, second highest census total in institution’s history

Northwest Missouri State University is again breaking institutional enrollment records as the conclusion of its latest census on Feb. 5 shows the University has the highest spring enrollment in its history.

The University reports overall enrollment this spring increased 11 percent from a year ago to a headcount of 8,817. For the fourth consecutive spring, the institution set record graduate enrollment with 4,472 students, an increase of 31 percent from a year ago. Undergraduate enrollment decreased by 4 percent.

Further, student credit hours at Northwest are up 3 percent overall. Undergraduate student on-ground credit hours declined 7 percent while undergraduate credit hours for Northwest’s online programs increased 22 percent. In the graduate student sector, on-ground credit hours are up 44 percent, and credit hours for graduate online programs are up 9 percent.

Additionally, Northwest maintains a high fall-to-spring retention rate of 89 percent.

“I am extremely proud of all of the hard work our employees do, not only to recruit students but to continue working with them so they succeed and graduate,” Northwest Provost Dr. Jamie Hooyman said. “In a time where the value of higher education is questioned, Northwest is serious about helping students achieve their dreams and uplift their lives.”

The spring semester enrollment count follows a fall census that showed Northwest with a record headcount of 9,664. A subsequent headcount showed Northwest surpassing 10,000 students for the first time in its 118-year history.

Traditionally, spring enrollment totals are lower than those recorded during the fall semester. Yet, the spring headcount ranks as Northwest’s second-highest census count in its history, just ahead of the University’s then-record headcount of 8,505 students in fall 2022.

This spring, Northwest reports 937 students, or 11 percent of the student population, identify with underrepresented groups. The University’s enrollment of international students increased to 933 and also represent 11 percent of Northwest’s student body. They represent 38 countries with most of those students coming from India, Nigeria and South Africa.

The University’s in-state student population this spring is 5,824 students as Northwest’s domestic students hail from a total of 47 states, and the institution continues to draw well from Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas.

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 among 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 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/.