The student population is burgeoning as Northern Arizona University records its fifth consecutive year of record-breaking enrollment.
University-wide enrollment is expected to exceed 25,000, up nearly 1,500 from last year, with more than 17,500 students attending the Flagstaff campus.
NAU also continued to see growth in all ethnicities, with increases of 50 percent in Hispanic, 22 percent in Native American and 33 percent in African-American freshman and transfer students. More than 800 international students from 76 countries also are attending the Flagstaff campus this fall, up from 593 last year.
“Northern Arizona University offers students a learning environment of smaller classes in a community-oriented setting,” NAU President John Haeger said. “The university’s culture of inclusion and our continual efforts to meet students’ needs through innovative methods set us apart.”
With strong international programs and well-developed partnerships throughout Arizona, students find NAU’s accessibility a convenient and affordable way to reach their education and career goals, Haeger said.
David Bousquet, senior vice president of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, attributes the ever-growing student population in part to the university’s promise of locked-in tuition rates.
“We have continued to offer the NAU Pledge program for undergraduate students, and that truly simplifies predicting the costs of college,” Bousquet said. “There are tangible benefits for families and students, and the added incentive for students to finish in four years means additional skilled individuals joining the workforce every year.”
The three state universities will release their official enrollment numbers the week of Sept. 20, when the “21-day head count” is available.