Dordt University achieves record enrollment

Dordt University achieved record enrollment for the fall 2023 semester with an overall enrollment of 1,911 students. This exceeds the fall 2022 record of 1,858 students.

This is the largest degree-seeking full-time undergraduate enrollment in Dordt’s history with 1,526 students representing 43 states and 30 different countries. The incoming class includes a record 498 undergraduate students.

“To have Dordt’s undergraduate enrollment grow by more than 15 percent over the last decade while higher education overall has contracted by nearly 15 percent is certainly an encouragement,” says Dordt president, Dr. Erik Hoekstra. “But really, it’s a tribute to God’s faithfulness to Dordt through our faculty, staff, and supporting constituency who share in this vision of Christ-centered higher education.”

Greg Van Dyke, director of admissions, shares his enthusiasm about the incoming class.

“This year, we surpassed the all-time freshmen record set back in 1998, and maintained strong retention numbers, which certainly contributed to the overall enrollment record.”

Dordt’s freshmen to sophomore retention rate is 85 percent.

Van Dyke attributes enrollment success to a few key factors.

“Students are looking for an authentic Christian college experience, and they find it here when they visit campus as a prospective student and then again when they become part of the Dordt community as a student. What sets Dordt apart is our commitment to the mission and vision of the university, and the dedication of our staff to carry out that mission.”

Campus visits are a critical part of helping prospective students discern if Dordt is the place they want to call home for the next two to four years.

“Today’s students are highly missional and truly desire to optimize their two, three, or four years in college by collecting meaningful experiences; it’s life-giving for our admissions and faculty to listen to a prospective student’s deep hope for their future and then deliver a customized road map that equips them to address the world’s greatest needs,” says Eric Tudor, director of emerging markets.

Dordt University has supported this growth with critical initiatives, such as the Planting for the Future capital campaign. The campaign seeks to increase student scholarships and also supports student experiences with building projects such as a new dining commons and an expanded B.J. Haan Auditorium. The university also built four new apartment buildings this summer to accommodate the growth seen on campus.

“We are grateful that more students are seeking the comprehensive education that we offer here which is permeated with the spirit and teaching of Christianity,” says Dordt president, Dr. Erik Hoekstra. “Sharing our zeal for Christian education with more people is energizing, but no matter how many are here in any given year, we view each of them as unique image-bearers of God and seek to educate them individually for the calling they’ve been given in Christ’s coming kingdom.”

About Dordt University

As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to work toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dordt is a comprehensive university named to the best college lists by the Wall Street Journal, Times Higher Education, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review.