The student population at Western Michigan University is 16,744 (13,027 undergraduate and 3,717 graduate students) . The number of students has decreased by 6,785 (28.84%) over the past decade.
- Class Level: The percentage of undergraduate students at WMU is 77.80% which is decreased by 5,540 over last 10 years. The graduate student population decreased by 1,245 and it has been decreasing.
- Gender Breakdown: In 2025, there were 84 male students for every 100 female students, down from 96 in 2015.
- 2,238 students enrolled in online degree program exclusively and the number of online students has increased by 123.80% since 2015.
Student Population Changes
The average student population over the last 11 years is 20,225 where 16,744 students are attending the school for the academic year 2024-2025.
Total enrollment fluctuated between 2016 and 2025, with 1 year-over-year increase and 8 decreases. It peaked at 23,529 students in 2016 and was lowest at 16,693 in 2024. Overall, enrollment dropped from 23,529 to 16,744 students, a net loss of 6,785 (28.8%).
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in student population by gender at Western Michigan University since 2015.
Undergraduate Enrollment Changes
The average number of Undergraduate students over the last 11 years is 15,983 where 13,027 students are attending the Undergraduate school for the academic year 2024-2025. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in Undergraduate enrollment by attending status and gender at Western Michigan University since 2015.
Graduate Enrollment Changes
The average number of Graduate students over the last 11 years is 4,242 where 3,717 students are attending the Graduate school for the academic year 2024-2025. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in Graduate enrollment by attending status and gender at Western Michigan University since 2015.
Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity Changes
The percentage of white students is 65.87%. The percentage was 69.76% 10 years ago and WMU still has a high percentage of white students. 3.36% of enrolled students is Asian and 7.88% is black students. Hispanic students comprise 8.71% of the student body.
Over the past 10 years, the racial composition has shifted. The percentage of white students decreased from 69.76% to 65.87%. Asian enrollment grew from 1.83% to 3.36%. Black student enrollment decreased from 11.24% to 7.88%. Hispanic student representation expanded from 4.94% to 8.71%.
The overall racial diversity, measured by the Census Bureau Diversity Index, is 0.5494 which indicates that somewhat diverse. This increased from 0.4970 a decade ago, suggesting that racial diversity has improved.
The following table and chart illustrate the student population trends by race/ethnicity at Western Michigan University over the past 11 years (2015-2025).
Distance Learning (Online Courses) Enrollment Changes
2,238 students are enrolled in online degree programs exclusively for the academic year 2024-2025, which is 13% of total students. The number of online students has increased 123.80% since 2015. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in the online student population by enrolled type at Western Michigan University from 2015 to 2025.