Purdue North Central Sets Enrollment Record in 2014

PNCPurdue University North Central set an all-time enrollment record this fall. The 2014 – 2015 academic year opened Monday, Aug. 25 with a record 6,177 students, a 1 percent increase in students over the fall semester of 2013.

Included in the fall enrollment are 3,252 undergraduate students, 35 graduate students in the Master’s of Business Administration program and 2,890 Dual Credit/Concurrent Enrollment students.

Another record was set, when for the first time, the PNC undergraduate population averaged a full-time course load of more than 12 credit hours.

This fall, PNC has 536 first-time, full-time students enrolled in its freshman class. These students average approximately 15 credit hours for the fall semester. Of first-time, full-time degree seeking freshmen enrolled at PNC this fall, 194 students, or 36 percent, earned Dual Credit/Concurrent Enrollment credits in high school, entering PNC with an average of 12 credit hours and savings of nearly $3,000 in tuition by taking college courses in high school.

“We welcome all students to Purdue North Central. Our students know the value of higher education and that earning a Purdue degree will play a key role in ensuring their future success,” said PNC Chancellor Dr. James B. Dworkin. “It is important to note the number of students taking 15 or more credit hours per semester. If these students continue to earn 15 or more credit hours each semester, they will stay on track to graduate in eight semesters, or four years. By taking 12 credit hours a semester, a student will require 10 semesters, or five years to graduate.”

In addition, the average PNC undergraduate degree-seeking student is 24 years old. There are 2,460 males and 3,717 females enrolled. PNC has 2,410 students from Porter County and 1,589 students from LaPorte County.

This semester, there are a record 2,890 students taking 15,277 credit hours through the Dual Credit/Concurrent Enrollment program. This allows high school students to earn both high school and Purdue University credits while they take classes in their high school during the regular school day. Enrollment in this program saw a 15 percent increase in students over 2013. PNC offers Dual Credit/Concurrent Enrollment classes in more than 40 Northwest Indiana high schools.

“Many of the highly motivated students in our Dual Credit/Concurrent Enrollment program commit themselves to earning a bachelor’s degree in three years. Students who earn their degrees in three or four years have a competitive edge as they enter the job market earlier than they may have otherwise, while saving a considerable amount of money on tuition, books and expenses.”

PNC has 35 students enrolled in its Saturday Master’s of Business Administration program, offered at PNC – Porter County in Valparaiso. PNC – Porter County also offers a full schedule of undergraduate courses.