MARYVILLE, Mo. – For the third consecutive year, Northwest Missouri State University achieved all five benchmarks within the state of Missouri’s performance-based funding model. As a result, Northwest will receive 100 percent of the funding appropriated to the University within the state’s FY16 budget.
“We are proud at Northwest of maintaining our high achievement set out within the state’s performance measures model,” Northwest President Dr. John Jasinski said. “As one of only a handful of state institutions to perform at the highest of levels during the years of the performance-funding model’s existence, we are thankful for the commitment and unparalleled focus on student success exhibited by our Board of Regents, students, faculty, staff and so many significant partners.”
Jasinski continued, “We have core strengths. We are performing. We have much progress in place, and our strategic plan is guiding us. Our strategic horizon is exhilarating and we embrace the future with much enthusiasm.”
Beginning in 2013, Missouri’s public two- and four-year institutions are funded using a model based on specific performance measures across five categories. Last year, Northwest joined the University of Missouri-Columbia, Missouri State University and Southeast Missouri State University as the only four-year institutions in the state to achieve all five benchmarks in each of the funding model’s first two years.
Northwest’s performance measures are: freshman-to-sophomore retention rate; six-year cohort graduation rates; improvements in assessments of general education; percent of total Education and General expenditures expended on the core mission; and the percent of full-time, first-time, degree or certificate-seeking undergraduate students receiving institutional grant aid.
With an enrollment of more than 6,700 students, Northwest is a coeducational, primarily residential four-year university that offers a broad range of undergraduate and selected graduate programs. This fall, Northwest is ranked as the top moderately selective regional university in Missouri on U.S. News and World Report’s list of “2015 Best Colleges.”
The University boasts a 59 percent graduation rate, which is about 20 percent higher than the national average. In addition, 98 percent of Northwest bachelor’s degree earners and 99 percent of master’s degree earners secure employment or continue their education within six months of graduation, according to the most recent data.
Furthermore, its vibrant and diverse learning community offers more than 150 student organizations, and textbooks and a laptop are included in tuition, which is among the lowest in the state, saving students an estimated $7,200 over four years. Northwest also offers 1,200 student employment positions, allowing students to build professional skills through its internationally benchmarked student employment program.