The college marked an official enrollment count for the spring 2011 semester
Officials at Kirkwood Community College are welcoming another semester enrollment record, while they deal with providing services amid budgetary challenges, including mandatory budget reductions. The college marked an official enrollment count of 16,668 students for the spring 2011 semester. This is an increase of 435 students (2.7 percent) from the same point in 2010.
College officials noted a strong rise in the number of students working on degrees that are offered completely online. 593 students are taking one of the six offered online degrees. That’s up from 164 last spring (362 percent increase).
“We’ve found that our students are really starting to take advantage of all of the ways we offer our courses, whether it’s at night, on weekends or online,” said Vice President, Enrollment Kristie Fisher. “Many of our students work and have families. They’re really looking to see how Kirkwood can fit into their lives.”
Of the 16,668 students, 14,280 are returning students, continuing toward a Kirkwood degree, certificate or diploma. 2,388 students are taking classes at Kirkwood for the first time.
“Because of the down economy, more people are looking for a cost-effective choice when it comes to higher education,” said Fisher. “While we still have strong numbers of students starting here, and transferring to other institutions, we’re really seeing an increase in students looking for a degree that can get them right into the workforce. This is true of many of our adult students as well. More than 36 percent of our students (6,035) are 23 years old and older. They’re looking for skills and job training that can turn into a new job or a promotion in a short amount of time.”