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LCSC sets spring enrollment record with 3,601 students
Following its trend of steady growth, Lewis-Clark State College set a spring semester enrollment record with 3,601 students enrolled for the current 2009 spring semester, according to the college’s 10th day report.
It is the fourth straight semester LCSC has set an enrollment record. During the 2008 fall semester, LCSC had its largest enrollment in the history of the college at 3,940 students.
The 3,601 students is a 7.6 percent increase from last spring when the college had 3,348 students enrolled. The number of students on the Lewiston campus totaled 3,233, which is a 7.8 percent increase from a year ago, while the LCSC-Coeur d’Alene campus tied its all-time spring enrollment mark of 368, which is a 5.4 percent increase from last spring.
“Students know a good value when they see one and they see Lewis-Clark State College as a place that provides a quality education,” LCSC President Dene K. Thomas said. “We have worked very hard to earn this reputation. LCSC is on the move and continues to be a smart choice.”
The college continues to be a leader in bringing diversity to the area by doubling the number of minority students attending the college. LCSC has 378 students who claim to be a minority enrolled at the college. The number of Native American students at LCSC increased by 31 from last spring with 163 attending this year.
“One significant source of growth was with Native American students,” LCSC Dean of Student Service Andy Hanson said. “This shows that the relationships we have forged with our area tribes and school districts have led to increased student access to higher education – an achievement we all can celebrate.”
LCSC also saw a sharp increase in the number of Professional Technical program students with 955 enrolled this spring, compared to 724 a year ago. That’s nearly 200 more Professional Technical program students enrolled this spring compared to any spring semester during this decade.
“Professional-Technical programs offer students the opportunity to complete a certificate or a degree in one, two, or four years, Hanson said. “These programs tend to burgeon when the state’s economy falters due in part to the fact that students can obtain highly marketable skills in a relatively short period of time.”
All state schools are required to file 10th-day reports to the State Board of Education. All school enrollment figures are based on the numbers on the 10th day of school. The 10th day of classes at LCSC this spring was Monday, Jan. 26.
LCSC officials report a full-time equivalency of 2,595.33, which is also a spring record. There are 85 more full-time students enrolled this spring compared to a year ago.
Although college enrollment usually goes up during bad economic times, the 7.6 percent enrollment jump can be attributed to a number of factors, according to Hanson.
“Our college has enjoyed steady growth for the past seven years,” Hanson said. “In addition to increases from our more traditional sources of students, this semester we saw a rise in former LCSC students returning to complete their degrees as well as part-time students. This is an indication that many are looking for opportunities strengthen their career paths through higher education in what is unquestionably a very uncertain economy.”
Among some of the more interesting numbers, LCSC continues to have close to a 60-40 gender split in students with more females attending the college. LCSC also had 1,079 seniors currently enrolled, 590 junior, 516 sophomores, and 1,403 freshmen.
The Business Division continues to have the most students with 536 declared majors, followed by Nursing & Health Sciences at 454, Education at 430, and Social Sciences at 421.
LCSC also continues to become a younger campus. The average age of an enrolled LCSC student is now 25.61 years, compared to 27.6 during the Spring 2003 semester. The average age has steadily lowered during this decade.
The average credit load per student is 10.8 credits.
A total of $11,941,288.56 was award in student aid and scholarships. Included in that amount is 51 out-of-state scholarships totaling $37,604 to Asotin County residents across the Snake River in Washington.
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