This year’s incoming class is Western’s largest ever

Western’s fall enrollment is showing strong signs of a return to pre-pandemic levels
Window magazine staff

Western’s fall enrollment is showing strong signs of a return to pre-pandemic levels with the largest incoming first-year cohort—3,225 new students—in the institution’s 129-year history.

“As impressive as the first-year enrollment numbers may be, our goal is not simply to enroll more students,” said WWU President Sabah Randhawa. “We also need to ensure that we address the disproportionate economic and health impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on disadvantaged populations and ensure that every student has the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed at every stage of their education and graduate ready to take on critical problems and make important contributions to their communities.”

Other highlights from the snapshot of enrollment this fall include university residences near capacity; a student body that is 99 percent in compliance with COVID vaccine policy; an in-person instruction rate of more than 96 percent; robust enrollment in Western’s graduate programs; and an 83.4 percent FAFSA completion rate among Western’s new first-year students. In the state of Washington, about 42 percent of last year’s high school seniors completed a FAFSA.

This is a compelling sign of the strength of the future health of the institution,” said Shelli Soto, associate vice president for Enrollment Management.

Luke Hollister