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Northwest Missouri State University’s total headcount this fall is 9,664 students, making it the highest in the institution’s 118-year history, according to the University’s fall census count.
The total number, which represents a 13.6 percent increase from a year ago, marks the sixth consecutive fall that Northwest achieved overall growth and the fourth consecutive year that its headcount set a new institutional high. The University’s headcount since 2018 has grown by 40.9 percent.
The record-breaking headcount is again propelled by increases in dual credit students, which increased by 67.1 percent; graduate students, which increased by 27.2 percent; and international students, which increased by 21.4 percent. Additionally, online headcount at Northwest increased by 15.9 percent.
Northwest’s graduate student headcount of 4,065 and its international student headcount of 1,038 also are the highest in the institution’s history within those enrollment sectors.
While focused on maintaining a balanced enrollment portfolio, Northwest’s overall undergraduate headcount at the University is up 5.5 percent this fall. Within that sector, the number of first-time freshmen enrolled at the University is down 5.5 percent and first-time transfer student headcount is up 1.3 percent.
“As a tuition-driven institution, growing our enrollments across a balanced enrollment portfolio is a priority for the University, and this year’s record census represents the hard work of everyone at Northwest Missouri State University,” Dr. Lance Tatum, the institution’s president, said. “The challenge continues to be growing our on-ground undergraduate population, but I am encouraged by the changes we have made in our scholarship model and the continued push to think strategically about recruiting and retention activities. I am proud that we are shining bright among our peers in the state, and we will continue pushing ourselves to grow and evolve Northwest for the next generation of learners.”
Northwest students participate in a humanities and social sciences course. (Photo by Chandu Ravi Krishna/ Northwest Missouri State University)
Northwest places a high emphasis on profession-based learning to help graduates get a jump-start on their careers while maintaining competitively low tuition rates and generous financial assistance to help minimize the financial barriers students may face when pursuing a college degree.
Northwest's emphasis on profession-based education prepares students for success in launching their careers or continuing their education. (Photo by Lauren Adams/Northwest Missouri State University)
With more than 150 student organizations on the Northwest campus, students have an opportunity to network, gain leadership skills, build creative skills and enhance their University experience. (Todd Weddle/Northwest Missouri State University)
By offering Northwest students with opportunities to build their résumés through profession-based experiences in nearly every area of study, the University’s placement rates indicate that 97 percent of bachelor’s degree earners and 99 percent of master’s degree secure employment or continue their education within six months of graduation, according to the University’s most recent data. Northwest’s graduation rate is in the 95th percentile among its peers.
In relation to value, Northwest includes textbooks and a laptop in its tuition costs, which are among the lowest in the nation, saving students an estimated $6,800 during a span of four years. Northwest also offers 1,200 student employment positions, allowing students to earn money while building professional skills through the internationally benchmarked program.
Ninety percent of first-year students receive an institutional scholarship or grant, which includes Northwest’s innovative Bearcat Advantage and Northwest Promise programs. The University also offers a rate structure for graduate students that is based on market demand and program offerings rather than a traditional residency-based model.
Furthermore, to help students graduate in four years or less and accrue less debt, Northwest’s “Complete 30” initiative encourages students to take a personalized approach to meeting their academic goals and complete 30 credit hours during the course of an academic year.
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.
Northwest students cross the main campus in Maryville during the first day of fall classes in August. (Photo by Lauren Adams/Northwest Missouri State University)
The percentage of first-generation undergraduate students attending Northwest increased this fall to 37 percent of all undergraduates at the University.
Additionally, Northwest reports its student population identifying with underrepresented groups or hailing from countries outside the United States increased by 17.6 percent to 2,164 students; they represent 22.4 percent of the University’s overall headcount. Northwest’s total domestic minority headcount is 1,126 students, who represent another 12 percent of the student body.
The University’s international students represent 11 percent of the student body and hail from 34 other countries with most of those students coming from India, Nepal, Nigeria and South Africa.
While the University’s in-state student population is 6,447, representing a 16.5 percent increase from a year ago, Northwest students hail from a total of 46 states this fall as the institution continues to draw well from Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska.
At Northwest-Kansas City, where the University supports a variety of offerings, 1,730 students are enrolled in some type of coursework related to non-degree and dual credit programs.
