DeKALB – Total NIU enrollment rose 4.3% this fall, with an 11% increase in transfer students and a 22% increase in new freshmen. The university welcomed 2,435 new freshmen, an increase of 663 students, its second-largest freshman class since 2014.
“NIU’s enrollment momentum comes from students connecting to what matters most: Excellent academic programs with proven career outcomes; a community where they feel they belong; and life-changing opportunities inside and outside the classroom,” NIU President Lisa Freeman said in a press release distributed Tuesday. “That combination is why more students are choosing to be Huskies.”
On the 10th day of classes, the university totalled 16,078 enrolled students with more than half of new freshmen being first-generation college students, and eight out of every 10 freshmen received a merit scholarship based on GPA.
NIU Vice President for Enrollment Management, Marketing and Communications Sol Jensen attributed the increase to financial aid and the affordability of NIU.
“We know it’s extremely affordable for many of our students, both keeping tuition low, but also the generous amount of aid and scholarship that we can provide,” Jensen said.
The freshman class posted an average high school GPA of 3.42, tying a record set in 2023. Furthermore, 18% of new freshmen produced high school GPAs of 4.0 and 37% had 3.7 or higher.
NIU welcomed the largest class of new transfers in eight years with 1,622 transfer students, an increase of 11% over last fall.
The number of international students decreased by 18.7%, however, with a total of 790 students from 104 countries.
Executive Vice President and Provost Laurie Elish-Piper said the decline in international students has to do with federal issues such as students having trouble obtaining visas.
“Students haven’t been able to get visas. The delays, you know, and then the pause came for visas and then it restarted. A lot of students were in queue, but just were not able to secure their visas in the timeline,” Elish-Piper said. “And then also, some students were from countries that had travel bans, so that presented an additional barrier.”
Year-over-year total enrollment increased overall in all seven NIU colleges. The NIU Law School boasted its largest enrollment ever with 352 students, accounting for a 4% year-over-year increase.
The Rockford Promise Program welcomed its largest class ever with 140 new freshman scholars. The program now has a total enrollment of 408 NIU Rockford Promise scholars.
“We’re grateful for the efforts of our entire Huskie community,” said Jensen. “With strong academic programs, substantial financial support — including generous merit scholarships — and a wealth of resources dedicated to student success, NIU continues to gain recognition from students and parents as a leading choice for educational excellence, affordability and an enriching college experience.”
NIU was also recognized as a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) for the first time in its history, with Hispanic students making up more than 25% of the total undergraduate full-time equivalent population for three consecutive years.
“Being designated an HSI affirms NIU’s commitment to access, affordability, social mobility and our longstanding tradition of matching talent with opportunity,” said Carol Sumner, NIU’s vice president for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and chief diversity officer. “This recognition opens doors to new opportunities and partnerships that will further strengthen advising, student support and academic programs, benefiting all students — Hispanic, African American, Asian, Native American, rural, first-generation, low-income, Pell eligible, transfer and returning learners.”
The reenrollment rate of first-time, full-time freshmen is the highest in five years, and the combined reenrollment rate for freshmen, transfers and continuing students is the highest in over 25 years.
“Strong reenrollment signals that our vast support system to ensure student success — which includes tutoring, coaching, mentoring, writing assistance, community building, leadership development, financial assistance and career-preparation services — is helping our students succeed,” said Elish-Piper. “Our university is committed to investing our time, energy and resources into helping our students achieve their goals in college and beyond.”
