January 31, 2013
Healthy growth at three locations helps offset expected dip at flagship campus
Spring semester enrollment climbed at three of Blinn College’s four campuses, officials announced today, brightening the outlook on overall enrollment in the wake of an anticipated enrollment decline at the school’s oldest campus. Community college officials have predicted leaner rosters at schools across the state—as enrollment tends to retract when economies begin to rebound. Blinn’s Spring 2013 enrollment offered better-than-expected numbers.
ENROLLMENT |
Spring 2013 |
Spring 2012 |
Difference |
Percent Change |
Total |
16,512 |
16,609 |
-97 |
-0.58% |
Bryan |
11,209 |
11,085 |
124 |
1.12% |
Brenham |
2,175 |
2,377 |
-202 |
-8.50% |
Schulenburg |
199 |
195 |
4 |
2.05% |
Sealy |
161 |
150 |
11 |
7.33% |
Distance Education |
1,009 |
912 |
97 |
10.64% |
The College recorded a total enrollment of 16,512 students, edging down less than one percent over enrollment in Spring 2012. Distance education, Blinn’s online offerings, climbed 10.64 percent over the previous Spring.
The College’s largest campus, in Bryan, grew 1.12 percent growth, reaching 11,209 students this semester. Enrollment in Schulenburg edged up 2.05 percent to 199 students while the Sealy campus added 11 students to boost enrollment by 7.33 percent.
| CONTACT HOURS | Spring 2013 |
Spring 2012 |
Difference |
Percent Change |
Total |
3,207,616 |
3,224,664 |
-17,048 |
-0.53% |
Bryan |
2,205,376 |
2,201,608 |
3,768 |
0.17% |
Brenham |
536,048 |
574,592 |
-38,544 |
-6.71% |
Schulenburg |
34,784 |
35,120 |
-336 |
-0.96% |
Sealy |
24,448 |
26,704 |
-2,256 |
-8.45% |
Distance Education |
270,192 |
238,032 |
32,160 |
13.51% |
Dr. Dennis Crowson, vice president for student services, said Blinn officials expected to see an enrollment decrease at the headquarter Brenham campus after closing two residence halls and instituting stricter requirements for residence hall eligibility.
About 200 students were removed from the Brenham residence halls after the GPA requirement was raised to 1.5. Subsequent enrollment this Spring in Brenham dipped by 202 students to 2,175.
“We’ve made our culture more of a collegiate setting for serious study,” Crowson said. “We want to make sure our students are here to go to school.”
Overall, the College has seen its Spring enrollment climb by 3,392 students, or 25 percent, since 2007.
Founded in 1883, Blinn has one of the state’s highest percentages of students who graduate from leading four-year institutions, and its tuition and fees average about one-third the cost of the same classes at most four-year public universities in the state. In addition to its four campuses in Brenham, Bryan, Schulenburg and Sealy, the College teaches online courses, dual credit for high school and prepares students for quick employment through its workforce education, technical training and vocational education programs. For more information, visit www.blinn.edu.