GOSHEN — Enrollment is up at Goshen College.
Staff of the Christian college reported they have the largest incoming class since 2009, enrolling a total of 215 first-year students, a 16 percent increase from last year’s class. In addition, 55 students transferred to Goshen College, for a total of 270 new students.
Overall enrollment reached 950 students, up 9 percent from 2016-17, with 750 traditional undergraduate students, 133 students in adult programs and 67 students in graduate programs.
“This marks the third year of consecutive enrollment growth and we are excited to have such an exceptional class,” said Interim President Ken Newbold. “We have added academic programs, expanded athletic opportunities and created new co-curricular initiatives that enhance our increasingly diverse community of scholars and provide an enriching learning experience.”
Diversity
College officials said the diversity of the student body also continues to increase. According to the college, 36 percent of students are non-white. And for the fourth year in a row, GC’s first-year class is the most diverse in its history, with 49 percent of traditional first-year students identifying as non-white.
Enrollment of Latino students is again high, according to the college, with 32 percent of incoming first-year students identifying as Latino, bringing the overall percentage of traditional undergraduate Latino students on campus to 23 percent.
Sixty-seven students are pursuing master’s degrees in one of Goshen’s graduate programs — nursing (family nurse practitioner), environmental education and the online master of business administration, according to the college.
The college enrolled 133 students in adult degree completion programs, which include organizational leadership, social work, and on-site and online nursing programs.
Retention of students was 78.4 percent, according to the college.
“GC continues to attract high-caliber students, thanks to the quality of our education, our affordability and the proven outcomes of our graduates,” said Adela Hufford, dean of admissions. “We have worked tirelessly to cultivate new relationships and find ways to bring new students into the GC family, and seeing continued enrollment growth, especially in today’s higher ed environment, is a testament that we’re doing things right.”
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