Northwestern College enrollment sets school records for sixth straight year

Northwestern College continues to set enrollment records. This fall’s total enrollment is 1,719, up from last year’s 1,675 and representing the sixth consecutive year of records.

This year’s freshman class is the largest since 2010, with 327 full-time first-year students enrolled, compared to 283 last year. Northwestern also continued to set a record in graduate students, with 521 enrolled, up two from 2023.

Northwestern has 1,135 residential students this fall, including undergraduates and 60 in the master’s program in physician assistant studies. Another 584 are online students in the graduate programs in business, counseling and education, as well as undergraduate programs in early childhood education, interpreting and nursing.

This year’s freshman class includes 46 students of color, 14.1%, another record. Total international student enrollment is the highest since at least 2007, with 49 residential undergraduates.

Fifteen of this year’s first-year students are majoring in Northwestern’s newly launched engineering program.

“We are excited to have another year of record-setting enrollment and to see the largest freshman class in 14 years,” says Tamara Fynaardt, Northwestern’s vice president for enrollment and marketing. “It’s clear that Northwestern’s success at helping students stand out academically, spiritually and relationally is attractive to new students and their families. We are thrilled that God has provided more students who desire to be prepared to lead lives of significance.”