MARQUETTE, MI— Enrollment at Northern Michigan University is down 5.75 percent from last fall. That’s according to the 10-day enrollment report.
The total fall headcount is 6,961, down from 7,386 in 2025’s fall semester, while 1,800 new undergraduates have enrolled at Northern.
University officials attribute the drop in new, first-time freshmen to the state’s offer of free community college through its Community College Guarantee and Michigan Reconnect programs, a steep drop in the number of high school graduates, and significantly increased undergraduate acceptance rates at the state’s Big Ten schools.
Officials say NMU gained students from the national market outside Michigan and neighboring states and saw growth in departments such as Business, English, Economics, Social Work, Art and Design, Philosophy, Surgical Technology, Psychology, and Theater and Dance.
This fall’s baccalaureate class had the highest overall incoming high school GPA at 3.49.
