NIU enrollment tops 25,000 for first time in sixteen years

by Melanie Magara

The last time Northern Illinois University saw enrollment top 25,000 (1987), Ronald Reagan was in the White House, "Dirty Dancing" was playing in movie theaters, and the state of Illinois provided more than half of NIU's operating budget.

Sixteen years later, NIU enrollment has once again topped the 25,000 mark, with an official tenth-day count of 25,260 or 1.3 percent more than the same time last year.

Out of that total, 18,275 students are undergraduates, 6,651 are graduate students, and 334 are in the College of Law. The number of new freshman is up by 6.8 percent to 3,239, while new transfers declined slightly to 2,152.

Overall, NIU's enrollment picture is one of steady but controlled growth. Faced with two years of state budget cuts totalling nearly $30 million, NIU officials established earlier application deadlines to improve planning and better balance increased demand with reduced resources. This year's overall enrollment gain was 312 students, a modest 1.3 percent increase.

"NIU continues to be the university of choice for talented, hardworking Chicagoland students," said President John Peters. "There is no let-up in demand for the NIU experience, and that's a credit to our outstanding faculty, dedicated staff and excellent programs. The challenge continues to be meeting as much of that demand as possible with fewer state dollars, and continuing to make the case for increased public investment," he added.

Peters pointed out that the last time NIU's enrollment reached 25,000, more than half of the university's budget came from the state.

"Today that figure is around 30 percent and falling," Peters said. "At a time when demand is growing and universities like NIU are rising to meet the challenge, state support is slipping. We must continue to advocate strongly for higher education as a major funding priority in Springfield," he added.

Early analysis of NIU enrollment data illustrates a continuing commitment to access and diversity, officials said. The number of African American undergraduates increased slightly, now accounting for 13.1 percent of all NIU undergraduates. Latinos likewise increased their representation in NIU's student body, now accounting for 6.5 percent of all undergraduates.

On the graduate level, Latinos increased their numbers dramatically, from 190 seeking advanced degrees last year to 298 working toward master's and doctorates this year - an increase of more than 56 percent. African-Americans also posted gains in the graduate school, increasing their numbers from 332 to 345, a gain of just over 15 percent. The Graduate School also saw an increase in the number of Asian students this year, from 221 last fall to 250 this year - a 13.1 percent increase.

Below is a breakdown of enrollment figures available at this time:

Northern Illinois University
Fall 2003 Enrollment
Official Tenth-Day Count

Source: Office of Institutional Research

9-15-03