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WIU Fall 2015 Enrollment: Graduate, Online and Extension Site Numbers on the Rise; New Student Academic Profiles Promising

September 10, 2015

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MACOMB/MOLINE, IL -- Western Illinois University's stepped-up recruitment efforts throughout the state, and beyond, are becoming more evident as the number of new students with academic profiles above the institutional average is growing, along with the number of graduate students enrolling and the number of students taking online and extension site courses at Western.

According to Andy Borst, director of WIU Admissions, the number of new freshmen who qualified for a Western Commitment Scholarship (3.0 GPA & 20 ACT) increased by 21.4 percent compared to Fall 2014. The new freshman class has an average GPA of 3.20 and average ACT score of 21.1, compared to 3.15 and 20.9 last year. Approximately 121 more students qualified for merit-based scholarships.

New graduate enrollment is up for the first time at Western since 2010. This fall, there is a 10 percent increase in new graduate students (628, Fall 2015 compared to 571, Fall 2014), and a 7.7 percent increase in overall graduate student enrollment (1,953 compared to 1,813). In addition, the number of students enrolling in online and extension site courses has increased. The number of Macomb students taking online and extension site courses has increased 21.5 percent (869 from 715) and the number of Quad Cities students enrolled in online and extension site courses has increased 20.3 percent (391 from 325).

While the total number of new freshmen and total enrollment has declined slightly from Fall 2014, President Jack Thomas said that the University is pleased with the academic profile of the entering class and the growing number of graduate students selecting Western to further their education.

"Students and their families recognize that Western Illinois University offers a quality education, with outstanding programs and faculty. We have excellent academic programs, many that are the only programs of their kind in the state, and in some instances, the nation," Thomas said. "We remain hopeful more undergraduate students will select WIU as we continue to tell the Western Illinois University story."

Total enrollment for Fall 2015 is 11,094, down 3.2 percent (364 students) from Fall 2014. The Fall 2015 total enrollment at the Western-Macomb campus is 9,563 compared to 9,935 last fall. The Quad Cities campus total enrollment is 1,531, compared to 1,523 in Fall 2014. New freshman enrollment is 1,535, down 4.4 percent (70 students) from last year. The number of new transfer students is 1,105 (1,213, Fall 2014).

For more enrollment information, visit the Office of Institutional Research at wiu.edu/irp.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing