NWMSU Announces Spring Enrollment Record

Northwest Missouri State University announced an enrollment record for the spring. The record was taken from the recent census and showed Northwest’s enrollment increased nearly 10 percent from last year to a headcount of 7,923. For the third consecutive spring, the University set record graduate enrollment with 3,407 students, an increase of 31 percent from a year ago. Although undergraduate enrollment decreased 2 percent, first-time freshman enrollment increased 7 percent.

Student credit hours at Northwest went up 4 percent overall. Undergraduate student on-ground credit hours declined about 5 percent while undergraduate credit hours for Northwest’s online programs increased 84 percent. In the graduate student sector, on-ground credit hours are up 34 percent, and credit hours for graduate online programs are up 19 percent.

Northwest reported a high fall-to-spring retention rate of 88 percent.

The spring semester enrollment counts follow a fall census that showed Northwest surpassing 8,000 students for the first time in its 117-year history and a record fall headcount of 8,505 students.

Spring enrollment totals are generally lower than those recorded during the fall semester, but the spring headcount ranks as Northwest’s second-highest census count in its history, just ahead of the University’s then-record headcount of 7,870 students in fall 2021.

This spring, Northwest reports 934 students, or 12 percent of the student population, identify with underrepresented groups. The University’s enrollment of international students increased to 822, and they represent about 10 percent of Northwest’s student body. They represent 36 countries with most of those students coming from India, Nigeria and Nepal.

The University’s in-state student population this spring is 5,075 students as Northwest’s domestic students hail from a total of 47 states and the District of Columbia, and the institution continues to draw well from Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas.

At Northwest-Kansas City, where the University offers a range of coursework, including dual credit offerings and degree completion programs, 657 students are enrolled.