SPRINGFIELD, Mo., September 24, 2025 – The largest Day School enrollment in five years and continued significant growth in the Physician’s Assistant (PA) program have helped propel Drury University to a total fall enrollment of 2,273 students for the Fall 2025 semester.
“Drury’s significant increase in our undergraduate and graduate enrollment is a reminder that in an often cold and impersonal world, students crave a closer connection to each other and to a campus that knows them as a name and not a number,” Drury President Jeff Frederick said. “The tremendous value of a Drury experience will pay off for decades ahead, a testament to all our university does to create a comprehensive and yet affordable experience that makes for talented, adaptable graduates, ready to take on the world.”
Day School enrollment showed a nearly five percent increase from 2024 (1,453 from 1,391), while the PA program nearly doubled its numbers from a year ago (107 from 69). The PA program, in just its third year, has seen incredible growth since its inception, as the initial cohort started with just 29 students in 2023.
New student enrollment increased by nearly 10 percent from 432 in 2024 to 473 in 2025, one of the largest first-year classes in a decade. Those numbers do not include foreign exchange or visiting students. Enrollment numbers for the College of Graduate Studies saw a 12 percent increase (245 from 215), while Drury’s College of Continuing Professional Studies (Drury GO) experienced a slight dip.
A large part of Drury’s overall enrollment increase is owed to the success of the Drury Springfield Promise, which reinforces Drury’s commitment to the Greater Springfield region. More than 200 students took advantage of the first-year program, which is designed to make a Drury education more affordable for bright students regardless of their financial situation.
Founded in 1873 as the first higher educational institute in Springfield, Drury has grown from a small school with just a handful of students to a thriving university with a dynamic student body and a broad range of academic programs.
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Media Contact: Cris Belvin, Director of University Communications & Media Relations | (417) 873-7392 | gbelvin@drury.edu