Nevada State College continues to grow during challenging economic times, with a fall 2010 preliminary enrollment of nearly 3,000 students, an increase of more than 18 percent from last fall and the largest percentage increase within in the Nevada System of Higher Education.
Nevada State College President Lesley Di Mare said that these latest enrollment numbers reinforce the critical role that the institution plays in the state’s higher education system.
Nevada State College is educating more students than ever before, Di Mare stated. Many of these students are the first in their family to go to college. Most are balancing work, family life and their studies. They realize the value of higher education and are choosing Nevada State College.
Founded just eight years ago, Nevada State College has continued to grow and succeed in offering varied schedules and online courses to meet the needs of its students. The college’s retention rate for first-time full-time freshmen also continues to increase, rising 13 percent in the past year from 54 percent to 67 percent.
In her State of the Campus address last month, Di Mare outlined her staunch support for the continued growth of the college, including the future build-out of the campus with a new Nursing and Sciences Building. She reiterated the importance of Nevada State College as an option for higher education in the state, now and in the future.
It is clear that Nevada State College serves a vital role in this state, Di Mare said. We offer thousands of students an opportunity to improve themselves and obtain a degree in professions like nursing, teaching or business. With a majority of our graduates remaining in Nevada to begin their careers, Nevada State College is succeeding in educating our state’s workforce.
Overall, Nevada State College’s headcount enrollment for fall 2010 rose by 18.2 percent, from 2,534 students enrolled in academic credit courses in fall 2009 to 2,994 such students this fall. Total student FTE (full-time equivalent) rose 15.1 percent to more than 1,866 students enrolled in courses that can be used to fulfill the requirements of a degree.
Sebring Frehner, NSSA President at NSC, is not surprised by the Nevada State’s rapid growth. Providing an exceptional educational experience has a way attracting large numbers of interested students. Said Frehner, “For years, NSC has been one of the best colleges in Nevada to offer a high-quality education. While NSC students have long known this, current enrollment increases are quantitative proof.”