NATCHITOCHES, La. — Northwestern State University enrolled its largest freshman class in three years this fall, with 1,120 first-time freshmen representing a 6% increase from last year.
The fall 2026 freshman class has an average ACT score of 21.7 and an average high school GPA of 3.4. It includes 114 high school valedictorians and 22 salutatorians.
“This is the type of growth we want to see at Northwestern,” NSU President James T. Genovese said. “We are attracting talented students who want the complete college experience, and they are choosing a university where they can receive an outstanding education while developing the relationships and experiences that prepare them for life after graduation.”
Students in the entering class come from 10 states, 25 countries and six continents. The university also enrolled a record 112 freshmen from Natchitoches Parish, its largest number from the parish in the past decade.
Among the university’s largest feeder schools are Tioga High School with 28 freshmen, Airline High School with 27, Parkway High School with 26 and Pineville High School with 24.
Campus housing is at 100% occupancy for the second consecutive year, filling University Place I and II, University Columns and Varnado Hall.
NSU also reported a first-to-third-semester retention rate of 70%, compared with a Louisiana average of 64%.
“Recruiting a student is only the beginning,” said Vanner Erikson, NSU’s director of enrollment. “Our responsibility is to help that student persist, graduate and ultimately accomplish what brought them to Northwestern in the first place. Seeing 70 percent of our freshmen continue into their second year tells us that the work being done by our faculty and staff is making a difference.”
Despite growth in the freshman class, Northwestern State’s total enrollment declined. At the 14-day count, the university had 8,245 students for fall 2026, down 157 students, or about 1.9%, from 8,402 in fall 2025. The university attributed much of the decline to increased degree completion, including students completing accelerated programs more quickly.
Graduate enrollment increased to 904 students, and the university reported an increase in dual enrollment students compared with fall 2025.
“Our goal has never been simply to chase a headcount,” Genovese said. “We are focused on sustainable enrollment, attracting students who are prepared to succeed and creating an environment that makes them want to remain at Northwestern through graduation.”
Northwestern State serves students through its Natchitoches campus, instructional sites and eNSU online programs. The university has a 17-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio and has continued investing in academic programs and facilities.
Those investments include the $45 million Robert Alost Hall, which opened in fall 2025 as an academic hub on the Natchitoches campus.