Largest-Ever Fall Enrollment at Dordt University

Dordt University’s overall enrollment for the fall 2020 semester is 1,666 – the largest enrollment in the institution’s history. In addition to the largest total student enrollment ever, Dordt has its largest full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment ever, a measure of how many credits students are taking, at 1,467 students.

Dordt welcomed 397 freshmen to campus this fall, which is the second-largest incoming freshmen class in 10 years. Greg Van Dyke, director of admissions, says that there was some uncertainty about what the fall 2020 semester would look like from an enrollment standpoint, given the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It was very exciting to see students respond in a resounding ‘yes’ by committing to Dordt, which resulted in our second largest freshmen class in the past decade,” he says.

New graduate programs and Dordt’s highest-ever online enrollment for the fall semester have contributed to overall enrollment growth at Dordt.

“We have excellent enrollment in our new graduate programs, including the Master of Social Work and Master of Public Administration programs,” says Steve Holtrop, director of graduate studies. “Also, our Master of Education program has more than doubled in three years, and we have an all-time record for enrollment this fall.”

Dordt also has a great freshman-to-sophomore retention rate this year, with 83.8 percent of last year’s freshmen returning to Dordt for their sophomore year.

“A strong retention on a good-sized class last year, plus a really good freshmen class this year, translates into a positive future,” says Jim Bos, registrar.

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. Dordt, located in Sioux Center, Iowa, is a comprehensive university named to the best college lists by U.S. News and World Report, Forbes.com, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review. To learn more, visit dordt.edu.