Northwest College is enrolling more students under age 19, even as overall enrollment is falling, as more local high school students take advantage of dual and concurrent enrollment programs. 

Preliminary fall enrollment for 2022 is 1,409 students, with 54% part time. It’s a young group, with 29% under age 18 and 41% ages 18-21. 

Preliminary enrollment numbers were announced Monday during the college’s monthly board meeting. Lisa Smith, who presented the numbers, said she expects final enrollment numbers to be roughly the same as last year. 

Enrollment has generally fallen since its peak of 2,198 students in 2009 (Full Time Equivalency peaked the following year) alongside the trend for state and national community colleges. 

However, while the largest decrease has been seen in full time, returning and transfer students, online enrollment has actually increased in the last 10 years. 

Retention rates have also increased after lower levels in recent years. The retention rate year-to-year was 58% two years ago, 54% last year and up to 60% this year, in terms of students from last year who returned. 

Future projections are also somewhat optimistic considering the high school class sizes around the Basin. In the short term, projections are higher, however longer term trends are lower as there are less
students, as part of a nationwide trend, in lower grades. 

President Lisa Watson said the hope is that trend of decreasing populations amongst younger generations is at least smaller locally. 

Graduation rates were positive compared to previous years for the 2019 cohort, 42% of which graduated by 2022. While that’s 4% lower than the cohort the year before, Smith said it’s higher than previous years. Adding students who transfer, the number rises to 56%. 

“The drop is not surprising considering what the class went through, like Covid,” she said. “But it’s still high compared to previous years, something to be proud of.“