Heartland Community College welcomed its largest freshman class in four years with over 1,500 new students.
Enrollment numbers 10 days into the semester show a 7% increase in new undergraduate students at the college and a 3.7% increase in the number of credit hours taken.
“It’s encouraging to see more new faces beginning their college career at Heartland,” President Keith Cornille said in a statement. “As we continue our strategic enrollment management efforts we hope to see enrollment growth continue as the college continues its premier transfer preparation and also adds new Work Ready certification programs targeted at those in the community seeking to change or advance their career opportunities.”
Heartland’s Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services Sarah Diel-Hunt said the number of freshman students coming to Heartland with dual credits is up.
“We are seeing more students get their start on college courses in high school and then bring those credits to Heartland,” Diel-Hunt said. “Some of these students earn enough dual credit to complete their associate’s degree just one year after high school.”
The college also reports overall enrollment is down 1.3% from fall 2018, but numbers show an increase in students who re-enrolled at Heartland after three or more semesters away.
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