Enrollment up again at Northern Michigan University

What's happening: Northern Michigan University is seeing another increase in enrollment this semester. The student body has increased by 330 students, or roughly 5.3 percent, according to enrollment numbers published by the university. The size of the student body was a concern for the Marquette-based university after a larger than usual graduating class this spring. Data, however, shows a 10 percent increase in new freshmen and a 15 percent increase in transfer students.

Off campus: While the on-campus student numbers have remained the same, the university has shown the most growth through online options through the Global Campus programs. These academic programs are online-only programs that saw an increase of nearly 60 percent over the winter semester numbers in 2023.   

What they're saying: "Most of the enrollment increases are coming from our graduate education and our Global Campus offerings, which are both seeing significant growth in the last year,” said Jason Nicholas, assistant provost and director for Institutional Effectiveness. “We are also seeing positive strides in our continuing students. Every year, we have some students with unfinished business who don't return for many reasons. This year, we are seeing a little less of that, with those who have not yet completed their degrees re-enrolling at higher rates.”

What's next: NMU will focus on graduation and retention rates among first-time students who enrolled in fall of 2023 to stabilize enrollment.