Fort Lewis College sees significant enrollment gains for 2012

Durango, CO – Census day, the date that Fort Lewis College locks in its official enrollment numbers for the fall semester, yielded a number of reasons to be optimistic about the future. The College saw its largest on-campus enrollment increase in a decade with 88 more students calling Fort Lewis College home compared to the previous year.

On-campus student enrollment at FLC is up 2.35% in 2012, from 3,748 to 3,836, exceeding both the goal in the College’s recently approved Strategic Plan and the FY 2012-13 Operating Budget. The on-campus enrollment is the figure the College reports to the Colorado Department of Higher Education and that is the number CDHE compares to other institutions.

Off-campus enrollment is down from last year, from 108 to 55. Overall, in spite of the off-campus enrollment decline, the total FLC enrollment is still up .9%, from 3,856 to 3,891.

Noteworthy is that new on-campus freshman enrollment is up 80 students, or 10.3%, which bodes well for next year. Also increasing were the number of transfer students enrolling at FLC, up 10 students over 2011, and concurrent students, up 21. In terms of ethnicity, the two biggest changes from 2011 were in on-campus Hispanic and Native American enrollment. Hispanic enrollment jumped by 56 students and Native American students increased 23.

In what turned out to be a challenging recruiting year across the state, the increase in enrollment at Fort Lewis College is very good news. Much of the increase can be attributed to FLC’s growing reputation as a destination school for students across the country and the world. This increased visibility led to a jump of 117 out-of-state students. In addition, although still a relatively small proportion of the FLC student body, international students increased 27% over 2011, from 49 to 62 students.

“Fort Lewis College’s efforts at increasing enrollment are reaping dividends,” says FLC President Dene Thomas. “We will keep working for fiscally responsible growth that maintains our selective admission standard and the quality of our student body.”