Elmhurst College enrollment shows higher retention rates

Elmhurst College is experiencing strong enrollments again this year.

The overall enrollment of roughly 3,500 students includes 1,263 new students, along with a higher retention rate of returning students than in previous years.

A variety of initiatives, including a partnership with nearby DuPage High School District 88, two popular scholarship competitions, and an increase in the number of international students, also contributed to the strong overall enrollment.

The current population includes new first-year students, incoming transfer students, new graduate students, new students attending the Elmhurst Learning and Success Academy, part-time students and all returning students.

Among the returning students, the retention rate - the percentage of first-year students who went on to their sophomore year at Elmhurst - rose this year to 82.5%, indicating a higher likelihood of graduation among those students. Another indicator that students will stay until graduation is the campus housing occupancy rate, which reached 98% this fall.

"The high retention and housing occupancy rates are powerful signs that more students are engaging in the life of the campus, both in and beyond the classroom," said President Troy D. VanAken. "We're very pleased to see this and are continually working to improve the student experience."

As part of a partnership between Elmhurst College and District 88, nearly 30 students from Addison Trail and Willowbrook high schools are enrolled in advanced mathematics classes at Elmhurst. They will receive credit for the courses.

Elmhurst's high enrollments this year mark the third straight year of similar growth and come at a time of continued financial strength and the launch of several initiatives aimed at enhancing student success.

This fall, the college launched two new academic programs - in environmental studies and digital media. Elmhurst also recently was awarded $2.75 million by the National Science Foundation to support students, especially from historically underrepresented groups, who are studying in STEM fields.

The college's ongoing efforts to become a more global and diverse campus also are reflected in the current class of new students. The class includes 22 new international students from countries that include Vietnam, Greece, India, Australia and China. Roughly 28% of the first-year class is Latinx and more than half of first-years are first-generation college students.