Record
Fall Enrollment Possible
Northern’s
10th-day enrollment figures show all-time highs for new freshmen
and suggest NMU might break the final fall enrollment record set
in 1980. Based on course registrations two weeks into the semester,
Northern’s enrollment was 9,221 – an increase of 97 over last year’s
figure of 9,124. Credit hours also increased by 1.8 percent.
Paul
Duby (Institutional
Research) said he is projecting a final fall count of 9,425. This
would break the previous record of 9,376 set in 1980.
Duby
said the most positive gains this year relate to incoming freshmen.
They set all-time records in applications, admissions and orientation
attendance. Preliminary figures also show all-time highs in total
freshmen and first-time, full-time students enrolled in bachelor’s
degree programs.
“The
large number of new baccalaureate freshmen and their higher academic
credentials really bode well for retention and future graduation
rates,” Duby said. “It will have a positive impact on long-term
enrollment because those students are going to be here for four
to five years.”
Duby
said the freshman statistics are particularly impressive, given
declining high school graduation rates in Northern’s primary market
area.
“It
is a testament to the university’s growing reputation and the hard
work of the marketing and admissions staffs,” he added.
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