NWC sets spring enrollment record for sixth straight year

For the sixth year in a row, Northwestern College has set a spring enrollment record. This year’s number is 1,661, up from 1,603 last spring.

Nearly 65% of the students enrolled attend the residential campus, an increase from 63.9% in 2024. The fall-to-spring freshman retention rate has also increased to 91.4%.

This semester a record 640 students are studying in Northwestern’s Graduate & Professional Studies (GPS) division, including online master’s degree programs in education, business, and counseling; online degree-completion programs in early childhood; and an on-site master’s degree program in physician assistant studies.

“We’re grateful—and, honestly, humbled—to be blessed with record enrollments when many colleges and universities are struggling to recruit and retain students,” says Tamara Fynaardt, vice president for enrollment and marketing. “I’m especially pleased with our fall-to-spring retention for freshmen, as it’s evidence we’re delivering on the standout experience we promise: Students feel known and valued as part of our community, and they’re growing in exceptional ways both academically and spiritually.”