Enrollment at Missouri Western State University is up almost 2 percent from a year ago on the official census date, four weeks into the start of the fall semester. A total of 5,926 students are enrolled this fall, coming from 42 states and 35 countries.
“We’re certainly excited to see enrollment growth, and honored that students have chosen Missouri Western to help them achieve their goals,” said Dr. Jeanne Daffron, provost and vice president for academic affairs.
The total of 5,742 undergraduate students and 184 graduate students is up by more than 100 students over last year’s total, and is the fourth highest total in school history. Two key factors in the growth, Dr. Daffron said, were the number of incoming freshmen and the number of new international students. The number of first-time freshmen seeking a bachelor’s degree is up by about 7 percent, to 1,042. The number of enrolled international students grew by nearly 60 percent this year, to 129. That compares to just eight international students six years ago.
Another key factor in the enrollment growth is an increase of about 3.5 percent in Missouri Western’s freshman-to-sophomore retention rate. Missouri Western has created a College Completion Team to focus on improving services and procedures that guide students to graduation. An enhanced advising process and degree audit software allow students to see exactly where they are on their degree path and make knowledgeable decisions if they want to consider changing their major. Another recent improvement to the Early Intervention Program enables faculty and student services staff to work seamlessly to remove challenges and obstacles to course or degree completion.
Another factor helping retention is that students are coming to Missouri Western better prepared academically: this is the tenth straight year that the average ACT score of the incoming freshman class has improved, and the average ACT score of full-time students enrolling directly from high school continues to be above the national average.
“We are especially pleased that enrollment growth is occurring in these areas,” Dr. Daffron said. “Increasing international enrollment and student retention in particular have been key parts of Missouri Western’s strategic plan, and will be vitally important to the university and the region.”
Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.