Northwest confirms higher freshman count

MARYVILLE, Mo. — Enrollment at Northwest Missouri State University this fall is 6,593 students, the university announced after completing its fall census.

The total headcount comprises 5,618 undergraduate students — an increase of 2.3 percent from last fall — and 975 graduate students.

The headcount includes 1,438 first-time freshmen, an 11 percent increase from last year’s freshman total, and 253 transfer students, which is up 4.5 percent from 2014. At the same time, 71.4 percent of Northwest’s fall 2014 first-time, full-time freshmen returned to campus.

Compared to last year, Northwest has 127 fewer students overall.

School officials attributed the dip in overall headcount to a record graduating class of 945 students last spring and limits placed on the number of students admitted to selected graduate programs, a move they say was intended to ensure quality programming

Northwest’s student body comprises 1,601 students, or 24 percent, from underrepresented domestic groups or countries besides the United States. The school’s total minority enrollment stands at 826 students, or 12.5 percent.

Northwest recorded an increase in enrollment of international students for the third consecutive year. Enrollment includes 775 international students, 11.8 percent of the student body and an increase of 9.5 percent over last fall.

The university’s in-state population remained steady at 73 percent with non-resident students representing a total of 39 states.