PFW begins new academic year with higher enrollment, credit hours

Enrollment at Purdue University Fort Wayne was up again at the start of the fall 2024 semester. Including credit hours delivered by PFW to IUFW, the total number of students rose by 0.8% to 7,471. Credit hours were also up by 1.2%.

Along with a 10-year high in retention, which rose by 2.2%, new undergraduate student enrollment was led by a 9% increase in credit hour production for international students and a 9.7% increase in credit hour production for students outside Indiana and the nearby Ohio reciprocity counties.

“In order to continue to increase enrollment, a mixture of retention gains and growth in new student credit hours is essential,” said Krissy Surface, vice chancellor for enrollment management and the student experience. “While we experienced an anomaly being down in graduate credit hours for the first time in over 5 years, a 1.2% increase in undergrad credits is very positive.

“More exciting is the continued growth in international and domestic out-of-state credit hours. This continued influx of students from out of Indiana increases the diversity on campus and positively impacts the bottom line in tuition and fees revenue. It equally speaks to the continued need for new student housing options.”

The highly anticipated opening of a new apartment complex on the North Campus in time for the fall 2026 semester is also something the university believes will further increase new student credit hour production, Surface said. The official groundbreaking for the new facility will be held Oct. 29.

In June, PFW announced its plans for the four-story, 213,000-square-foot complex near Ginsberg Hall, which is just east of St. Joe Road and south of St. Joe Place Apartments. A range of housing options will include studio to four-bedroom units. The total number of beds is projected to be 600, which will be spread out over 176 units.

PFW student housing has been at full capacity for seven consecutive fall semesters. Without available beds, the enrollment management team cannot use this popular option as a recruitment tool. Creating a new apartment complex on campus will allow for a much more targeted recruitment approach and planned growth of a more traditional college student population looking for that on-campus student experience.