Illinois State University has set an enrollment record for the fourth year in a row, according to officials figures for the fall 2025 semester released Thursday.
ISU has increased its student headcount by 448 students to 21,994 students this fall.
“Given the climate and the environment that is becoming ever so competitive for college admissions, I am very happy with the group we are bringing in,” said Pat Walsh, the university’s director of recruitment and operations for admissions.
Walsh said the university has maintained its recruiting standards while attracting approximately 4,200 incoming freshmen and 1,700 transfers.
“The students were engaged throughout the process, very involved and academically talented as well," Walsh said, noting the university saw a higher combined grade-point average [3.63] compared with last year’s incoming class [3.61].
The Mennonite College of Nursing saw a 5% increase in students this fall. The College of Education saw a 4% jump.
ISU has also enrolled 168 students in its new College of Engineering.
Those gains offset a 14% drop in international students [613 to 527], a trend that colleges and universities are experiencing nationally.
The university saw a 0.5% increase in student retention rate from first to second year [81.9%].
“Continued strong enrollment and increased retention demonstrate Illinois State’s commitment to student success and exceptional student experiences,” ISU President Aondover Tarhule said in a news release. “The Redbird approach to collaborative teaching, scholarship, and service is the University’s proud legacy and its future.”
