The Columbus region of Ivy Tech Community College has experienced a 41 percent increase in enrollments over last year at this same time. On the first day of Spring semester, 2009, the number of enrollments was 4,383; on the first day of Spring semester, 2010, it was 6,163. Four-year enrollment growth figures for Spring semester are as follows: 2007 – 2,563; 2008 – 2,974; 2009 – 4,383; 2010 – 6,163.
Over 68 percent, or 4,200, of the students currently enrolled are returning students from the previous term. Over 11 percent, or 705 students, are new, first-time college students. In addition, Ivy Tech-Columbus enrolled 1,010 dual credit high school students and 248 students with previous college experience.
Ivy Tech’s Columbus region includes the counties of Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Jackson, Jennings, and the southern portion of Johnson. Enrollments in each of these counties increased over figures from this same period last year. Statewide, Ivy Tech enrollments are up 33 percent compared to the first day of classes last Spring semester. With 119,773 students enrolled statewide for classes on Monday, this semester marks the largest semester enrollment in the college’s history.
“In addition to the continuing general growth, it is gratifying to see 68 percent of the students returning from the Fall semester,” said John Hogan, chancellor of Ivy Tech-Columbus. “Our goal is to guide students toward graduation, and we’re pleased to see that more and more individuals in our service area are earning degrees.”