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FLC sees enrollment dip slightly

Large graduating class pushes number down
Enrollment at Fort Lewis College is down 6.2 percent this fall semester.

After two years of increased enrollment, Fort Lewis College has seen a 6.2 percent dip in student head count for the fall 2014 semester compared with last fall.

The two largest areas of decline were enrollment among seniors and incoming freshman, according to a Fort Lewis College news release.

There are 95 fewer seniors and 97 fewer freshmen this fall, FLC said.

Meanwhile, in-state enrollment decreased, and out-of-state enrollment increased slightly.

Overall, there are 3,814 students this fall compared with 4,065 in the fall of 2013, FLC reported.

Fort Lewis attributed the declines to an unusually large group of graduating seniors at FLC in 2013-14 and to a decrease in graduating high school seniors in the region.

In fall 2013, there were 2,415 in-state students enrolled and 1,650 out-of-state, Mitch Davis, college spokesman, said in an email. In fall 2014, there were 2,144 in-state students enrolled and 1,670 out-of-state students.

FLC attributed the decline in seniors to the college’s largest graduating class in years. In all, 804 students received their degrees last year, 168 more than the year before.

Over the five previous years, Fort Lewis College had not awarded more than 681 degrees in a single year, the release said.

While FLC is happy to see more students graduating, it leaves a larger gap in enrollment with new students, FLC said.

FLC attributed the drop in incoming freshmen, in large part, to a decline in the number of graduates at regional high schools and increased competition for high school students across the state.

Durango and Pagosa Springs high schools saw a smaller number of graduates in 2013, according to the FLC Office of Admission. As a result, the number of incoming FLC students from both La Plata and Archuleta counties decreased for 2014.

Another factor FLC gave is that dozens of out-of-state colleges and universities are opening up admission offices in Colorado. That outside recruiting is taking prospective students out of the state and increasing competition among the Colorado institutions, with schools closer to major population centers having an advantage, the release said.

Tuition rates at FLC for in-state students increased from $5,232 to $5,544 per year, while out-of-state tuition remained the same, $16,072, Davis said in an email.

The Fort Lewis College Office of Admission is looking to add a recruiter who will primarily focus on Southwest Colorado and northern New Mexico, the news release said. The college also is looking to strengthen its connections with nearby community colleges.

vguthrie@durangoherald.com

Oct 2, 2015
Smaller student body costs college


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