Well-Prepared, Full-Time Students Highlight 1st Purdue Northwest Freshman Class

Purdue-Northwest-colorCrunching first semester enrollment numbers of recently established Purdue University Northwest reveals an incoming freshman class prepared to succeed and demonstrating an early intention to graduate on time.

Purdue Northwest fall enrollment is 15,286 students. Some 9,194 are enrolled at the Hammond Campus, formerly Purdue University Calumet, with 6,092 enrolled at the former Purdue University North Central at Westville.

The totals represent a combination of continuing students, transfers, those new to college, others enrolled in online academic partnership programs and high school concurrent/dual credit enrollees.

First-time full time freshmen The initial PNW class of first-time freshmen (1,301) includes 93 percent who are carrying full course loads and 95 percent who are age 20 or younger.

Additionally, the entering freshmen recorded a collective high school grade point average and SAT and ACT college preparation test scores that are “higher than ever before” compared to previous entering freshman classes at the former Purdue Calumet and Purdue North Central, according to PNW Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs Carmen Panlilio.

“We are excited about the quality of first-time students enrolled at PNW,” Panlilio said. “They arrived on our campuses with a track record of high school success, and they have committed to course loads that place them on track to graduate in a timely manner.”

She added that 77 percent of all undergraduate core students—those who physically attend either or both of PNW’s two campuses—carry full course loads.

Well-prepared students “Our objective is to attract well-prepared students intent on earning a Purdue degree at either of our campuses,” PNW Chancellor Thomas Keon said. “To do that we are committed to offering outstanding academic programs and a rich, student-centered Purdue Northwest experience.”

Purdue Northwest was established via the unification of Purdue Calumet and Purdue North Central, approved last March by the Higher Learning Commission.

During their nearly seven decades of previous operation, Purdue North Central and Purdue Calumet built their reputations responding to Northwest Indiana’s diverse higher educational needs and student preparation levels. Both institutions educated a blend of full time and part time-enrolled, traditional college age and adult students.

Concurrent students, demographic breakdown Purdue Northwest fall enrollment also includes 4,519 dual credit/concurrent students— high school students who are enrolled in courses for which they earn high school and college credit. The student total exceeds the 3,775 dual credit/concurrent enrollees at Hammond and Westville Campuses last fall.

Demographically, among core students physically attending PNW campuses, 59 percent are Caucasian, 17 percent are Hispanic/Latino, 10 percent are African-American and 8 percent are international.