NIU meets enrollment goal for 2005-06

by Joe King

Enrollment inched upward this year with an overall increase of 1.6 percent, NIU President John Peters has announced.

The modest growth is in keeping with the university's goal of limiting total enrollment to a level that can be served adequately by available resources.

“The demand for an NIU education continues to be at an all-time high, but we have to be prudent,” Peters said. “Years of decreased funding from the state have stretched our resources thin. It is only through the extraordinary dedication of our faculty and staff that we have been able to uphold the high standards we set for the university. We owe it to our students to ensure that our enrollment doesn't outstrip our ability to provide a top quality educational experience. This increase achieves that goal.”

According to the university's official 10th-day count, the total enrollment at the university grew to 25,208, up 388 students compared to last fall.

The largest increase was among transfer students, which climbed 11 percent compared to a year ago, while incoming freshmen were up 7.6 percent from fall 2004. The number of law students grew by about 2 percent, while the number of graduate students slipped about 1 percent.

Of particular note this year was an upsurge of 25 percent among freshmen honors students compared to one year ago.

“More and more, the top scholars in the Chicagoland area are choosing NIU, which speaks to the improving reputation of NIU,” Peters said. “It is encouraging that even during difficult fiscal times, the reputation of our programs continues to grow and to draw outstanding students like these to our campus.”

10-10-05