Nearly every facet of Northwest Missouri State University’s enrollment figures show increases.

Graduate, international and academy students as well as overall enrollment are at record numbers.

The total head count is 6,903 — about a 4.4 percent increase over last year and an all-time high for the university, which was established in 1905.

Northwest has 270 international students, with the greatest number coming from India, Japan, Korea and China. There are 1,121 graduate students enrolled this semester, which is an 18 percent increase over last year’s numbers.

And though freshman numbers are down 15 students from last year, this is the second consecutive year of a near 20 percent growth rate in freshman enrollment compared to Northwest’s five-year historical average.

Bev Schenkel, dean of enrollment management, said the higher numbers are due to increased student retention rates and strong interest from new student markets. Cost is also a consideration. Ms. Schenkel said students save about $1,000 a year through the textbook rental program and that the addition of some e-books to the program has generated some buzz.

Northwest is expecting 20 percent growth of its student body over the next five years.

“When growth is planned or anticipated,” she said, “the challenges are much fewer.”

Part of the growth over the next five years includes hiring 30 more faculty and creating additional course sections. New buildings will also be required to handle the growth. Ms. Schenkel said the strategic enrollment management plan includes constructing a new academic building with 25 medium-sized classrooms and several lecture halls.

Missouri Western State University and Benedictine College also are experiencing record enrollment numbers this year.

Jimmy Myers can be reached

at jimmym@npgco.com.