Nearly 600 new students have begun classes at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington. The small liberal arts college says it's the biggest incoming class since 2010, with 544 freshmen and 51 new transfer students enrolled.
The large new class also tips total enrollment above 1,600 for the first time since 2021.
In a statement, IWU said student-athletes comprise 47% of new students. A third are first-generation college students and 39% identify as students of color, slightly higher than the campus as a whole.
Efforts to recruit students from McLean County through a direct admissions partnership with five Bloomington-Normal high schools are beginning to pay off. This fall, McLean County students are 13% of the incoming class, compared with 10% in 2024, the program's inaugural year.
The university said the most popular majors among new students are nursing, business, psychology, biology and finance.
In addition to breaking ground on the Petrick Idea Center, IWU unveiled a remodeled dining hall and renovated residential areas in Donnocker Hall.
