Spring enrollment at Northwest crosses 7,000 mark for fifth consecutive year

Northwest students cross the campus during the first day of spring semester classes in January. (Photo by Lilly Cook/Northwest Missouri State University)

Northwest Missouri State University is maintaining a strong headcount this spring, based on the results of its annual spring census.

The University reports its overall enrollment this spring is 7,674. That total includes 4,315 undergraduate students, which represents a 4 percent increase in that sector from a year ago.

Additionally, Northwest maintains a high fall-to-spring retention rate of 88 percent. The University’s persistence rate, which tracks the percentage of students who continue their enrollment at Northwest or have completed their degree program, also trends well at 94 percent.

Traditionally, spring enrollment totals are lower than those recorded during the fall semester. Northwest’s spring enrollment passed 7,000 students for the first time in 2022, and the University recorded the highest spring enrollment in its history when it counted 8,817 students in 2024.

The University’s in-state student population this spring is 5,183 students with domestic students hailing from a total of 49 states, while the institution continues to draw well from Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas.

Northwest’s international population represents 3 percent of its student body. International students at Northwest represent 46 countries, with most of those students coming from India, France and Nepal.

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 and through Northwest Online.

Founded in 1905, Northwest boasts a graduation rate in the 95th percentile among its peers. Additionally, results of the Ruffalo Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory show Northwest students are more satisfied than students at national peers, and 78 percent of Northwest students report they would repeat their University experience, compared to 75 percent of students surveyed nationally at their respective institutions.

Furthermore, the University is a national model for student success and career placement with 93 percent of bachelor’s degree earners and 98 percent of master’s degree earners securing employment or continuing their education within six months of completing a degree at Northwest, according to the most recent data. 

Northwest places a high emphasis on profession-based learning to help graduates get a jumpstart on their careers while maintaining competitive tuition rates and generous financial assistance to help minimize the financial barriers students may face when pursuing a college degree.

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, a partnership with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and 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.

The University’s vibrant and diverse learning community also offers more than 150 student organizations, and textbooks and a laptop are included in tuition, saving students an estimated $6,900 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/.