Get Ready for July Madness

There are no brackets to guide you through it, but July is the prime month for presidential transitions at private colleges. To keep up on who's going where, visit our Comings and Goings page, with up-to-the-minute news of the many appointments now being made.

Fall 2009 Private College Enrollment Announcements

Fall Enrollment at Many Private Colleges Exceeds Expectations

List last updated: 1:15 p.m., Oct. 27, 2009.

These are tight financial times for private, nonprofit colleges and universities. However, on the enrollment front, many of these institutions are faring better this fall than was predicted earlier in the year. While a number of private colleges face enrollment challenges, NAICU expects that most institutions will meet their goals. This assessment is based on our July survey results and conversations with college leaders over the summer.

As listed below, several private colleges are announcing record, near-record, or otherwise successful enrollments for Fall 2009. (See caveat.) Some are also reporting their most diverse classes.

The lowest average tuition increase at private colleges in 37 years (4.3 percent), a 9 percent increase in institutional aid, and increased funding for federal student aid (Pell Grants, Work-Study, and student loans) have helped to keep independent higher education an affordable option for students from all backgrounds.

Despite healthier-than-expected enrollments at many institutions, private colleges and universities still face substantial financial challenges. Institutional budgets are being squeezed by significant endowment losses, a drop in fund raising, and growing student financial need. As the recession continues, so do institutional financial concerns. 

Campus Announcements:

Record, Near-Record, or Otherwise Successful Enrollments for Fall 2009

-- Note: These are the announcements (or, in some cases, local news reports) that NAICU is aware of. NAICU does not claim that the following list is exhaustive.
-- Please send list updates or corrections to tony@naicu.edu.

Record Enrollments 

A B C D E F G H I L M N O P R S T U V W

A

Abilene Christian University
Abilene, TX
ACU hits record enrollment for fall semester

Anderson University
Anderson, IN
Anderson U. breaks enrollment record

Andrews University
Berrien Springs, MI
Record Enrollment This Year At Andrews University

B

Baptist College of Health Sciences
Memphis, TN
Record fall enrollment at Baptist College of Health Sciences

Baylor University
Waco, TX
Baylor University boasts largest enrollment ever this semester

Belhaven College
Jackson, MS
Belhaven College Enrollment Soars 15%

Bellarmine University
Louisville, KY
Bellarmine University Hits Record Enrollment

Belmont University
Nashville, TN
Enrollment Approaches 4,000 as Belmont Sets Pace in Tennessee

Benedictine College
Atchison, KS
Enrollment Soars for Ravens

Benedictine University
Lisle, IL
Benedictine enrolls record freshmen class for fifth consecutive year

Bethel College
Mishawaka, IN
Strong Student Interest Reaches Record High Enrollment

Blue Mountain College
Blue Mountain, MS
Blue Mountain sees record enrollment

Bryn Athyn College
Bryn Athyn, PA
Bryn Athyn College's first president starts Friday
(Article reports "decision to hire a president follows large enrollment growth; enrollment is projected to increase 25 percent for the 2010-11 academic year")

C

California Lutheran University
Thousand Oaks, CA
CLU hits record for new students

Campbellsville University
Campbellsville, KY
Campbellsville University Reaches Milestone 3,000 Students for 19th Consecutive Semester of Record Enrollment

Coker College
Hartsville, SC
Coker College gets record enrollment

D

Davis & Elkins College
Elkins, WV
Davis & Elkins College enrollment soars

DePaul University
Chicago, IL
DePaul University Achieves Record-Breaking Enrollment Over 25,000, Despite The Recession

Doane College
Crete, NE
Census Day Reflects Enrollment Jump for Doane

E

Eckerd College
St. Petersburg, FL
Eckerd College Fall 2009 Enrollment Highest in Eckerd's History

Evangelical Theological Seminary
Myerstown, PA
Seminary's success continues in tough times
(Article now available only in newspaper's archives, for a fee)

F

Freed-Hardeman University
Henderson, TN
Universities break enrollment records
(Article reports FHU has "518 freshmen and transfer students - a record for new students")

G

Guilford College
Greensboro, NC
Guilford Has 2,833 Students, Sets Several Headcount Records

H

Harding University
Searcy, AR
Universities break enrollment records
(Article reports Harding "posted a record enrollment for the 23rd consecutive year")

Hendrix College
Conway, AR
Record Enrollment: Hendrix surpasses 1,400

Huston-Tillotson University
Austin, TX
HT Reaches Its Highest Enrollment Since 1952 (Scroll down page for story)

I

Iowa Wesleyan College
Mount Pleasant, IA
Iowa Wesleyan College enrollment up; largest freshman class since 1980 

L

Lee University
Cleveland, TN
Lee Sets New Enrollment Record

Lewis University
Romeoville, IL
Lewis University welcomes another year of record enrollment

Limestone College
Gaffney, SC
Limestone sees record enrollment

Lipscomb University
Nashville, TN
Lipscomb University marks fourth record year of enrollment, biggest jump yet

Lyon College
Batesville, AR
Submit an Early-Action Application
(Site reports that "this fall Lyon College admitted its largest class in the college's 137-year history."

M

McPherson College
McPherson, KS
McPherson College Enrollment Hits Record

Manchester College
North Manchester, IN
Manchester College poised for another record enrollment

Marylhurst University
Marylhurst, OR
Marylhurst Welcomes Record Enrollment, Launches New
Strategic Plan

Maryville University
St. Louis, MO
Record Enrollment for Freshman Class

Mercer University
Macon, GA
Macon's Mercer University Sees Record Enrollment

Metropolitan College of New York
New York, NY
MCNY Enrollment Grew by 22%

Mississippi College
Clinton, MS
Mississippi College 2009 Enrollment Sets Record

Morningside College
Sioux City, IA
Morningside College reports record total enrollment for fall 2009

Mount Mary College
Milwaukee, WI
Mount Mary College Enrollment Highest in History (PDF)

N

Newman University
Wichita, KS
Newman University announces record fall enrollment

North Central College
Naperville, IL
College sets new enrollment record

North Greenville University
Tigerville, SC
Another record enrollment at North Greenville

O

Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, IL
Olivet College announces highest undergraduate enrollment in school history

P

Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
Class of 2013 includes record level of financial aid recipients

R

Regent University
Virginia Beach, VA
Fall Enrollment Numbers Up 14 Percent From 2008

Reinhardt College
Waleska, GA
Reinhardt Achieves Largest Student Enrollment In Its History

Rice University
Houston, TX
Freshman class largest in Rice's history

Roanoke College
Salem, VA
Roanoke College sets several enrollment records

Robert Morris University
Moon Township, PA
Pittsburgh-area colleges see outreach pay off with enrollment spikes
(Article reports RMU "has record enrollment for the 2009-10 school year")

S

St. Ambrose University
Davenport, IA
St. Ambrose exceeds enrollment goals

St. Francis College
Brooklyn Heights, NY
Another Record for Enrollment at St. Francis College

Schreiner University
Kerrville, TX
Schreiner enrollment up for 4th year running

Southern Wesleyan University
Central, SC
SWU enrollment hits record high

T

Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, TX
Fall semester begins with record enrollment

Texas Wesleyan University
Fort Worth, TX
Texas Wesleyan University Sees Record-High Enrollment

Thomas University
Thomasville, GA
Thomas University Sets Record Enrollment

Tiffin University
Tiffin, OH
TU's Enrollment Exceeds 3,308 Students

Trine University
Angola, IN
Trine sees record enrollment

Trinity Washington University
Washington, DC
Trinity Posts Record Enrollment With More than 2,000 Students

U

Union University
Jackson, TN
Fall semester begins with largest freshman class, record enrollment

University of Richmond
Richmond, VA
University welcomes largest, most diverse freshman class

University of Scranton
Scranton, PA
Incoming Class Sets Numerous Records at Scranton

Upper Iowa University
Fayette, IA
Upper Iowa enjoys record enrollment

V

Viterbo University
La Crosse, WI
Record enrollment at La Crosse colleges
(Article reports Viterbo "hit an all-time high for new freshmen")

W

Walsh University
North Canton, OH
Walsh Enrollment Soars for Ninth Consecutive Year

Westminster College
Fulton, MO
Another Year of Record Enrollment

Westminster College
New Wilmington, PA
Westminster College Launches Waiting List Due to Record Enrollment

Westminster College
Salt Lake City, UT
Westminster Hails 'Class of 2013' as Largest Freshman Class in History

William Carey University
Hattiesburg, MS
William Carey University Sees Increased Enrollment for Fall

William Jessup University
Rocklin, CA
William Jessup adds record 194 students

Near-Record Enrollments

(Click here to return to the top of the page)

A C D G K M O R U V W 

A

Alma College
Alma, MI
Alma College enrolls second-largest class ever

C

Central College
Pella, IA
Central College brings in near-record freshman class

College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University
St. Joseph/Collegeville, MN
CSB and SJU report strong enrollment numbers

D

Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, PA
Second largest class settles in

G

Goshen College
Goshen, IN
Goshen's enrollment of first-year students best in 27 years

K

Knox College
Galesburg, IL
Knox enrollment up 25 percent since 2002

M

Macalester College
St. Paul, MN
Economy is down, so enrollment is up
(Story reports enrollment "is the highest its been since 1971")

McKendree University
Lebanon, IL
Class of 2013 is One of the Largest in School History

Mount Ida College
Newton, MA
New Student Convocation Held at Mount Ida College
(Article reports "this is one of the College's largest incoming classes")

O

Oklahoma Christian University
Oklahoma City, OK
Universities break enrollment records
(Article reports that OCU has the "second-largest student body in its history")

R

Rochester College
Rochester Hills, MI
New Student Enrollment Soars

U

University of Charleston
Charleston, WV
UC Enrollment Grows for Fourth Year

V

Valparaiso University
Valparaiso, IN
Enrollment rises to highest level since 1983

W

Wartburg College
Waverly, IA
Wartburg reports second-highest full-time enrollment ever

Wilson College
Chambersburg, PA
Wilson College enrollment up 18 percent

Met or Otherwise Exceeded Enrollment Goals

(Click here to return to the top of the page)

A B D G J L M P R S T V W Y

A

American University
Washington, DC
Freshman Enrollment Exceeds Target Numbers

B

Bethany College
Lindsborg, KS
Bethany Sees Positive Trends in Overall Enrollment (PDF)

Bethel University
St. Paul, MN
September 2009 Enrollment Update
(Article reports "enrollment is up 1.3 percent from last fall's enrollment")

Briar Cliff University
Sioux City, IA
Briar Cliff University Enrollment Increases

D

Defiance College
Defiance, OH
Area colleges show increase in enrollment numbers
(Article reports "the number of all students is expected to increase 7 percent, exceeding Defiance's expectations at the beginning of the year")

Drake University
Des Moines, IA
Drake reaches optimum enrollment this fall

G

George Fox University
Newberg, OR
George Fox University Enrollment Holds Steady

Greensboro College
Greensboro, NC
Greensboro College adds 12 percent more freshmen

J

Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD
College Enrollment Soars Despite Summer Melt
(Article reports JHU "projected an incoming freshman class of 1,235" but "is now coping with 1,350 first-year students")

L

Loyola University Maryland
Baltimore, MD
Packed classes catch colleges by surprise
(Article reports "Loyola projected an incoming class of 950 students and ended up with 972")

Loyola University New Orleans
New Orleans, LA
Loyola increases first-year enrollment by 16 percent

Lubbock Christian University
Lubbock, TX
Universities break enrollment records
(Article reports the university has an enrollment of 1,906 students, up from 1,868 a year ago)

M

Maryville College
Maryville, TN
Maryville College reports enrollment increases

Moravian College
Bethlehem, PA
Moravian College Attracts Most Diverse Freshman Class

P

Pacific Union College
Angwin, CA
PUC Enrollment Up for Fall Quarter

R

Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, NY
President Destler's Welcome Back Address
(Address notes that "this year's freshman class will be both more talented and more diverse than last year's")

Rust College
Holly Springs, MS
Private colleges growing
(Article reports enrollment at Rust rose 3.5 percent for 2009-10)

S

St. Mary's University
San Antonio, TX
St. Mary´s Meets Recruitment & Retention Goals for Fall 2009

T

Tougaloo College
Tougaloo, MS
Private colleges growing
(Article reports enrollment at Tougaloo rose 6.5 percent for 2009-10)

V

Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, NY
Vassar welcomes class of 2013, highly diverse and selected
from the largest applicant pool in the college's history

W

West Virginia Wesleyan College
Buckhannon, WV
Wesleyan Enrollment Up 7.8 Percent

Whitman College
Walla Walla, WA
Whitman College class of 2013 ‘most diverse'

Y

York College
York, NE
Enrollment up 8 Percent