College of DuPage enrollment continues to grow

College of DuPage continued its upward enrollment trend this fall, with the college's net 10th day credit head count of full- and part-time students totaling 29,476, an increase of 3 percent since last year.

Over the past two years, credit head count has increased 12.4 percent at COD. In addition, fall 10th day full-time equivalent student enrollment climbed by 1.8 percent to 16,857.

"Since fall 2008, the college's total FTES enrollment has increased by an astonishing 13 percent," COD President Robert L. Breuder said. "We are obviously very pleased with these numbers."

The second-largest provider of undergraduate higher education in Illinois (after the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), College of DuPage added 849 students this fall over last year and added the equivalent of 292 more full-time students. The college is generating 252,855 credit hours this fall, 29,160 more than fall 2008.

"These numbers are a testament to the higher education paragon that is College of DuPage," Breuder said. "We continue to distinguish ourselves among other providers of higher education through our faculty, programming, value and delivery systems.

"The numbers for this fall are solid evidence that students are recognizing the incredible return on investment offered by College of DuPage."

College of DuPage is pushing upward amid downward statewide and national community college enrollment trends. In a Crain's article this spring, Karen Anderson, executive director of the Illinois Community College Board in Springfield, said enrollment at Illinois' 48 community colleges is down more than 12 percent since 2010.

In addition, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center's most recent data from 2014 lists community college enrollment as down nationally by 2.7 percent.

"We are experiencing a period at College of DuPage that will always be remembered," Breuder said. "We have added more than 60 certificate and degree programs over the past five years that respond directly to students and local workforce needs.

"And we continue to attract academically enriched students at a tremendous rate, with 129 students selected this spring to receive Scholars Awards for the 2014-15 academic year. More and more students are selecting College of DuPage as their first choice for higher education - we offer the highest-quality faculty, academic programs and facilities students and their parents are looking for in a college."