MARYVILLE, Mo. –Northwest Missouri State University is seeing one of the largest freshman classes in its history this fall.

The school attributes the increase in its transfer population and undergraduate headcount according to its preliminary enrollment totals released by the Office of Enrollment Management.

Northwest begins its 2015-2016 academic year with a freshman class of 1,478 students, an increase of 11 percent from last fall. Northwest recorded its largest freshman class, totaling 1,498 students, in 2011.

“The freshman class growth is exceptional and helps offset the largest graduating class in Northwest’s history this past spring and huge numbers last December as well,” Northwest President Dr. John Jasinski said, noting those graduating classes of 945 and 542, respectively. “Our enrollment team and so many partners across the institution have taken intentional and strategic steps to ensure this growth and I wish to commend them.”

Additionally, Northwest is projecting increases of nearly 4 percent among transfer students and a little more than 1 percent for its undergraduate student headcount. Northwest’s total headcount stands at 6,415.

The enrollment numbers are preliminary and the University’s official census occurs Monday, Sept. 28.