(Orange City)– A northwest Iowa college is reporting record enrollment this fall for the third year in a row.
Officials with Northwestern College in Orange City say 1,294 students are enrolled there this fall…up 51 from the previous record. Admissions officials say full-time and full-time equivalent students also set a record this fall.
Northwestern is also reporting its largest freshman class ever…with 374 students.
Ron DeJong, Dean of Admissions, credits a strong recruiting year and a high retention rate for the increase in numbers.
DeJong says the record enrollment has the Orange City campus at maximum capacity. A new 48-person apartment building and college-owned cottages are helping to alleviate a housing crunch.
Officials say over the past 15 years, Northwestern’s enrollment has increased by 54 percent. They say this year’s figures are 27 percent higher than 10 years ago and 12 percent higher than five years ago.
