Members of the Class of 2020 pose for a group photo during Griffon Edge 2016.
The freshman class starting the fall semester at Missouri Western State University is almost four percent larger than the class from a year ago.
“An increased freshman class is a very encouraging sign for our enrollment going forward,” said Dr. Paul Orscheln, associate vice president for enrollment management. “As has been the case in recent years, the incoming freshmen appear to be well prepared academically. We also are drawing from a wider area, with increases in the numbers of freshmen from Iowa, Illinois and St. Louis.”
Preliminary enrollment data indicates a freshman class of about 900 students, a 3.9 percent increase over last year. Missouri Western is also seeing significant increases in new transfer students (up 20 percent) and new graduate students (up 23 percent). Also encouraging, Dr. Orscheln said, is that Missouri Western once again expects to meet its freshman-to-sophomore retention goal.
Enrollment numbers will be finalized after the official census date four weeks into the semester. Last year’s total enrollment was 5,571 students.
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.