NIU takes steps to control enrollment,
match student numbers to available resources

Demand continues to increase; applications up 12 percent

Faced with three years of state budget cuts totaling nearly $40 million and new student demand up by more than 12 percent, NIU officials late last year were forced to take steps to control student enrollment, which had been growing by leaps and bounds for the past six years.

Today officials released the results of those efforts: an official fall 2004 enrollment report that shows a leveling-off in some categories and a slight decrease in new students at nearly every level.

“We promise our students a quality educational experience, and that means we have to balance student enrollment with available resources,” explained NIU President John Peters. “We’ve done that in a way that maintains our historic commitment to accessibility while also making sure that our students get the classes they need and graduate with a degree that has great value in the marketplace.”

The official tenth-day count shows overall enrollment at 24,820 – down 440 students or 1.7 percent – from the same time last year. The largest decrease – 298 fewer new freshmen – reflects efforts to limit the steady growth in new student numbers through imposition of earlier application deadlines.

According to Admissions Director Bob Burk, steady growth in new freshmen (2,791 in fall 2000; 2,809 in fall 2001; 3,032 in fall 2002 and 3,239 in fall 2003) showed no signs of letting up, as applications were once again running far ahead of the previous year. Faced with the twin challenges of increased demand and severe state budget cuts, NIU stopped accepting freshman applications in January and transfer applications in March.

“We worked closely with our partners in the high school and community college guidance offices,” said NIU Admissions Director Bob Burk. “We told them early on that we were going to be closing admissions early, and they were able to let students interested in NIU know that they couldn’t wait to the last minute to get their materials to us,” he added.

“Even with those new rules in place, our applications increased more than 12 percent overall this year compared to last,” Burk said. “It’s clear that the NIU experience continues to be very desirable.”

FULL STORY

Northern Illinois University Fall 2004 Enrollment Official Tenth-Day Count
	2004	2003	# change	% change
New Freshman	2,941	3,239	- 298	-9.2%
New Transfers	1,956	2,152	-196	-9.1%
On-Campus Undergrad	17,737	18,011	-274	-1.5%
On-Campus Graduate	4,108	4,144	-36	-0.9%
Off-Campus Undergrad	294	264	+30	+11.4%
Off-Campus Graduate	2,355	2,507	-152	-6.1%
Total Undergraduate	18,031	18,275	-244	-1.3%
Total Graduate	6,463	6,651	-188	-2.8%
Law	326	334	-8	-2.4%
TOTAL ENROLLMENT	24,820	25,260	-440	-1.7%