University News
Fall 2025 Enrollment
September 12, 2025
MACOMB, IL - - Western Illinois University (WIU) is announcing a total Fall 2025 enrollment of 5,337. The number includes nearly 1,300 new freshmen, transfers and graduate students enrolling at WIU for the first time.
"We are excited to welcome our new students to Western Illinois University, whether they are in Macomb, Moline or online," WIU President Kristi Mindrup said. "Western is a great place to learn, live and grow, and our talented faculty and staff are ready to help our students achieve their goals."
An area of emphasis for WIU has been re-enrolling students who were previously Western students but stopped pursuing their degree for a variety of reasons. WIU is welcoming back 197 students to campus to finish their degrees.
"The data bears out the difference that a degree makes in career earnings and job opportunities," WIU Vice President for Student Success Justin Schuch said. "We actively recruit our students who have attended WIU, but because of individual situations, have stopped their formal educational process. We are welcoming back these students and are grateful for their re-commitment to complete their degree."
With over 5,300 students enrolled for Fall 2025, WIU has exceeded previous publicly stated enrollment expectations by placing a special emphasis on retention and student persistence. The additional enrollment will allow the University to create more opportunities and to support the academic success of students.
"We are continuing our efforts to create student success and provide the wrap-around services that enhance the experience at WIU," Schuch said. "By enrolling more students than our projected number, we can build upon our momentum and allow our student supports to reach further. I want to thank our faculty and staff for creating a close-knit community at Western where students feel connected and stay engaged"
Western Illinois University has been recognized as the top public university in the state of Illinois for creating opportunity. The Carnegie Foundation defines the measure of opportunity as a combination of academic access and career earnings. To learn more about WIU ranking as an opportunity university, visit carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/saec/.
A comprehensive breakdown of Fall 2025 enrollment data for Western Illinois University will be made available at wiu.edu/irp/factbook.php.
Posted By: Zachary Messersmith (ZD-Messersmith@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing
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