Purdue University Fort Wayne Increases Fall 2019 Enrollment

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Purdue University Fort Wayne begins the new academic year with gains in new student enrollment across the board, including new freshmen, graduate students, transfer students and international students.

For the second year in a row, on-campus student housing is at full capacity.

“We are delighted that so many students from across Indiana and the Midwest are choosing Purdue Fort Wayne to pursue their education,” says Ronald L. Elsenbaumer, Chancellor of Purdue Fort Wayne. “We made significant enrollment gains last fall, so the increases this year are on top of a bar that was already set very high. We continue to employ aggressive student recruitment and marketing strategies, and we’re pleased to see the results of those efforts.”

Enrollment of new students entering the university for the first time totaled 2,512 students, which is an increase of 1.9 percent over last fall.

This includes 1,609 new freshmen, an increase of 3.6 percent.

The total number of graduate students enrolled, including non-degree-seeking students, increased 7.6 percent to a total of 511 students.

International student enrollment is up 8.8 percent for a total of 285 students.

“This is our first complete enrollment cycle recruiting fully under the Purdue University brand, and we are extremely pleased with the results,” says Carl Drummond, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Enrollment Management. “Purdue Fort Wayne offers an extensive selection of majors and programs that are appealing to students and that help prepare them for a lifetime of success. We continue to remain nimble in order to meet the demands of both our students and employers.”

More than 92 percent, of PFW’s total student enrollment this fall is from Indiana.

Enrollment from neighboring states that participate in the Midwest Student Exchange Program increased by more than 19 percent compared to last year.

This influx of students from outside of the region and the state for the second year in a row has had a dramatic impact on student housing on campus.

Last year, the university experienced a 33 percent increase in the number of students living in campus housing.

PFW now has a record 1,247 students living in on-campus and off-campus university-contracted housing.

“We have been creative and deliberate in adding new, university-managed beds, both in our on-campus student apartments and through contracts with neighboring apartment complexes,” says Chancellor Elsenbaumer. “As more and more students from outside the region choose Purdue Fort Wayne, we have an urgent need to develop solutions to meet this continuing demand for student housing.”

PFW students enrolled for fall 2019 represent 34 states and Puerto Rico, and international students represent 51 countries.

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