If NIU’s newest Huskies have proven one thing, it’s that they’re high achievers.
NIU’s freshman class is strong in numbers, achievements and diversity.
The new freshman class counts 2,440 students—a 7% increase over last fall and the largest class since 2014. Their average high school GPA is 3.42, the highest on record, but that’s only part of the story.
Nearly 500 freshmen are receiving merit scholarships of $7,000 per year after earning 4.0 GPAs in high school. What’s more, 38% of the freshmen earned a high school GPA of 3.7 or above. Under NIU’s test free merit scholarship process, they’re all receiving scholarships of at least $5,000 per year.
“The test-free process first applied last year has served not only to greatly expand access to scholarship support, but also to greatly diversify the pool of scholarship recipients,” said Anne Hardy, director of scholarships and financial advising.
Hardy said 67% of freshman scholarship recipients this year are students of color, compared to 54% just two years ago. Overall, nearly 80% of incoming freshmen are receiving renewable merit scholarships.
More freshmen choosing Honors
More freshmen this fall also are seeking academic challenges. Enrollment of new freshmen in the University Honors Programhas grown by 50% over last year, to 283 students.
“Honors Program applications climbed as NIU has had a banner year attracting students with strong GPAs,” said Professor Andrea Radasanu, director of University Honors. “We also think our efforts to create a supportive and inclusive environment that helps students reach their goals are bearing fruit, as even more students are excited to apply to the program.”
University Honors also has highly diversified its enrollment, with students of color making up more than half of its freshman class. That’s not surprising, since the 2022 class of freshmen is the most diverse in university history—with 67% students of color.
Rise in Asian, Latinx freshmen
Overall among freshmen, Black students are strongly represented again this year, but particular growth was seen in the numbers of Asian and Latinx students. Latinx students make up 28% of the freshman Huskies, seven percentages points more than last fall.
With that increase, Latinx students now represent 24% of the total undergraduate enrollment. That means the university is just one percentage point shy of being eligible for federal designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).
“The designation would further demonstrate our commitment to access for Latinx students and for all students from underrepresented backgrounds,” said NIU Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management Mayra Lagunas. “Becoming an HSI institution would also provide expanded access to U.S. Department of Education grants for programs and services to increase support for students and faculty.”
The academic interests of the freshman class are diverse, too. The top areas of study include education, health sciences, business administration, psychology, computer science, mechanical engineering and more.
More students embracing campus life
Meanwhile, more freshmen want to experience campus life.
Dan Pedersen, executive director of NIU Housing and Residential Services, said nearly 300 more students are living in residence halls, compared to last fall. Pedersen reports an occupancy of 3,973 students, the highest figure since the fall of 2015. The number of freshmen living in the residence halls increased by 10% over last fall.
“Successful strategies contributing to a larger first-year population in the residence halls include the Rockford Promise at NIUand Hope Chicago programs,” Pedersen said.
He also offered up some fun facts.
“Kayla and Jacob are the two most popular first names for students living in the residence halls,” Pedersen said. “Students who came the farthest to be at NIU include one from Auckland, New Zealand, and another from Nairobi, Kenya.
While most of NIU’s 326 new international students are enrolled in the Graduate School, there are a total of 25 new international freshmen, as well as 132 freshmen from other states. In all, NIU’s overall enrollment represents 49 states and 76 countries.
