Missouri Western enrollment rises

Missouri Western State University has a total of 5,562 students enrolled as of the official census date Sept. 25, an increase of 3.2 percent over 2016-17, including a remarkable 16.2 percent growth in the number of new freshmen. That total includes 5,321 undergraduate students and 241 graduate students.

“I’m extremely proud of the efforts by our staff, faculty, students and alumni and community to address the enrollment challenges we have faced for many years,” said Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western’s president. “I’m excited that more students are discovering our outstanding academic programs and the many things that make our campus special. It really is an exciting time to be a Griffon.”

The increase was led by the surge in the number of new freshmen, from 854 last year to 992 this year.

“We would have been thrilled with an increase of 5 to 10 percent in new freshmen,” said Dr. Paul Orscheln, associate vice president for enrollment management and student retention. “This kind of an increase is really remarkable, especially in today’s highly competitive environment for higher education. Our admissions staff and the many folks they work with across campus should be applauded for all that they do to provide prospective students with the information they need to choose Missouri Western.”

The addition of six new sports contributed to the enrollment growth as well. Missouri Western started competing in men’s and women’s cross country this fall, and will field men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field teams next semester.

In addition to attracting new students, Missouri Western continues to meet its goals for retaining current students.

“For many years, we have made a concerted effort to help our students persist and succeed,” said Dr. Jeanne Daffron, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “I am pleased we continue to meet our retention goals, and we continue to seek new ways to help that number continue to grow.”

Another area of growth was in dual credit enrollment, with about 18 percent more high school students taking class for credit at Missouri Western compared to last year.

“More and more students and parents are recognizing the value of getting college credit before high school graduation,” said Dr. Gordon Mapley, dean of the Western Institute, which oversees the dual credit program. “Our faculty and staff have done an outstanding job of working with high school teachers to develop high-quality dual credit programs and making them available to a growing number of students.”

Graduate school enrollment set a record at 243 last year, and nearly matched it this year, with 241 students enrolled.

Students from Missouri account for 86 percent of Missouri Western’s total enrollment, with 33 percent from Buchanan County.

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.