Hotline // February 18, 2026

VCSU Spring Enrollment Reaches Record High

VALLEY CITY, N.D. (VCSU) – Valley City State University set another enrollment record during the 2026 spring semester, posting a total headcount of 1,868 students—the highest ever in school history.

This year’s spring enrollment reflects an increase of 14 students over last spring and marks the third consecutive spring semester of record-breaking enrollment. VCSU welcomed 72 new undergraduate degree-seeking students at semester break, including 20 first-time freshmen and 52 transfer students—the most mid-year newcomers since 2017. The university also achieved a 91% fall‑to‑spring retention rate among undergraduate degree-seeking students.

North Dakota students continue to make up the majority of VCSU’s population, with 75% of students hailing from within the state and 87% representing the four‑state region of North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Montana.

Areas of Notable Growth

Several programs and partnerships contributed to this spring’s enrollment gains:

• Graduate programs increased by 10%, reaching a record spring enrollment of 161 students and 71 FTE (full-time equivalent). Twenty new students started in the graduate program this semester.
• The James River Correctional Center program expanded by 225% to 26 total students in only its second year.
• A new articulation agreement with Bismarck State College added 13 students in its first semester.
• A partnership with College of DuPage (Illinois) continued to grow with a 60% increase in enrollment.
• Dual‑credit enrollment rose by 6% as more high school students pursued early college coursework.

“It’s encouraging to see growth across several areas, including new and expanded partnerships in the region,” said Dr. Allen Burgad, Interim VCSU President. “VCSU continues to offer highly respected courses and degrees at a great value, and we’re working to bring those offerings to even more students. Our extremely affordable tuition rates make VCSU a strong fit for many different types of learners.”

Currently, in‑state tuition for VCSU undergraduates is $6,983 for a 30‑credit year. North Dakota students receiving the full Federal Pell Grant have 100% of their tuition covered. The VCSU Foundation also plays a significant role in affordability, awarding nearly $2 million in scholarships over the past year. As a result, 53% of VCSU’s on‑campus students had zero out‑of‑pocket tuition costs during the 2024–25 academic year.

“Valley City State provides tremendous value to students seeking high‑quality, affordable education,” said Larry Brooks, Vice President for Academic Affairs. “With 75 percent of our students coming from North Dakota, we understand the vital role we play in meeting workforce needs across the state.”

VCSU’s spring headcount of 1,868 students includes both full‑time and part‑time learners. While the university’s FTE enrollment declined 2.9% from last spring, it remains the second‑highest spring FTE in school history.

For more information about VCSU and its academic programs, visit www.vcsu.edu.

Changes at Prairie Waters Education and Research Center

We are happy and sad to see founder and long-time director Andre DeLorme retire from Prairie Waters. Dr. DeLorme began Prairie Waters Education and Research Center in 2010. Under his direction, the program has educated about 2,000 students each year throughout the state of North Dakota, focusing on issues related to water quality and aquatic ecosystems. Dr. DeLorme may still help with groups on occasion, but he is shifting his focus to digitizing the collection of macroinvertebrates that he has collected throughout his career.

Ellen Fehr began as the new Director for Prairie Waters in January. Ellen is a VCSU alumni, graduating in 2020 as a double major in Biology Education and Fisheries and Wildlife Science. While in college at VCSU, Ellen often volunteered at Prairie Waters helping with field trip groups. She taught high school science in Montpelier for six years before returning to VCSU in her new position.

Since beginning in January, Ellen and lab manager Louis Wieland have been busy with outreach visits to local schools such as Jefferson Elementary in Valley City and schools as far away as Wilton, N.D. In the last month, they have gone on eight outreach visits with 350 student participants to teach about a variety of topics including watersheds, non-point source pollution, fish, and wildlife of North Dakota.

Prairie Waters is looking at a busy season ahead of field trips and outreach visits. We offer educational programs to K-12 students as well as trainings for teachers, professionals, and pre-service teachers. To find out more about changes happening at Prairie Waters, follow along on our Facebook page or website. If you have a group interested in an outreach visit or field trip, you can book this directly on our website.

Prairie Waters Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100041166206184
Prairie Waters Website: https://www.vcsu.edu/academics/academic-centers/prairie-waters-education-research-center/

Jones and Monilaws Qualify for DECA Nationals

Valley City State University students Sarah Monilaws and Katie Jones qualified for DECA nationals after taking first place in a team event at the 2026 State Career Development Conference (SCDC), held Feb. 9-10 in Fargo.

Monilaws and Jones teamed up to take 1st place in Event Planning at the DECA state conference. Individually, Jones took 3rd in Travel & Tourism and Monilaws placed 3rd in Hotel & Lodging. The Top 3 finishes qualified them for nationals in all three events, and they’ve decided to compete in their team event at the Collegiate DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in Louisville, Kentucky, this April.

The VCSU DECA chapter was honored for the community service project during the state conference opening ceremony, and Monilaws was presented with one of the outstanding member awards.

VCSU advisor Dr. Amber Aberle attended the state conference with Monilaws and Jones. Advisor Wesley Wright will attend ICDC in April. For more information about the VCSU Collegiate DECA Chapter, follow us on Facebook with VCSU Collegiate DECA and on Instagram @vcsudeca.

February Difference Maker: Derek Bear

Congratulations to the February “Difference Maker”, Derek Bear!

Derek is a Technology Support Specialist and was nominated by Marketing and Public Relations. His nomination read:

“Derek Bear is always friendly, approachable, and ready to help whenever technology issues come up. Whether it’s computers, iPads, or network issues, Derek has been proactive in finding solutions and resolving issues efficiently. His knowledge, reliability, and positive attitude make technology challenges less intimidating for employees and students. Derek’s positive attitude, willingness to help, and involvement in numerous areas of the campus and community make him a valuable part of VCSU and a great example of what this award represents.”

Viking Sports Update

MEN’S BASKETBALL
The Viking Men split last weekend in their final road games of the season. Friday, they dropped a six-point decision to Dickinson State. Saturday, they bounced back with a win over Bismarck State. The Vikings still have an outside chance to make the Frontier Conference postseason tournament. They play Carroll College on Friday and 7pm and Rocky Mountain College on Saturday at 5pm. Both games will be played at the Memorial Auditorium on the campus of Concordia College in Moorhead. The Men are 2-0 at Concordia. Saturday will be Senior Day. JR Cison, Nick Carlson, Caden Grinde, and Kaleb Larson will be recognized before the Men’s game.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Like the Men, the Women split their two games last weekend. But they did it the other way. Friday the Vikings beat Dickinson State. Then on Saturday in a must win game, lost to Bismarck State. With that loss, the Vikings were eliminated from making it to the postseason tournament. This weekend, VCSU heads back to Concordia College in Moorhead to play Carroll College on Friday at 5pm and Rocky Mountain College on Saturday, which is Senior Day, at 3pm. Five Seniors will be playing their final game as a Viking: JayCee Richter, Aubrey Prunty, Madison Spacher, Ellie Powell, and Tilda Mauritzson. The Women are also 2-0 at Concordia College. 

STUDENT FAN BUS TO MOORHEAD
On Saturday, Valley City State’s Men’s and Women’s basketball teams will be playing the final home game of the season at Concordia College in Moorhead. To make this truly home game, we need our students to come to the game. There is a FREE fan bus to and from the games on Saturday. There are 45 spots available and a free white tee-shirt. The Theme of the game is White Out, and it is also Senior Day as nine seniors will be recognized.  Sign up here to get on the Student Fan bus. Deadline is Friday at 4pm.

SOFTBALL
The Viking softball team had a great weekend in Sioux Center, Iowa at the American State Bank Sports Complex Softball Classic. The Vikings were 1-1 on Friday and 2-0 on Saturday. This weekend, the 4-4 Vikings head back to Dordt University for four more games at the ASB Classic. Friday they play Morningside University and Briar Cliff University. On Saturday they face Doane University and Northwestern College. Game times on Friday are 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. and on Saturday 9 a.m. and 11 a.m..

TRACK AND FIELD
The Valley City State University Men’s and Women’s Track and Field teams did not compete last weekend. The Vikings are in Brookings, South Dakota at South Dakota State for the Frontier Conference Indoor Championships on Saturday and Sunday.

What's happening at VCSU and around Valley City...

February 12
11 – 1 p.m. Career Expo, VCSU Student Center

February 16

Find out what’s happening at VCSU: https://www.vcsu.edu/news-events/

Find out what’s happening in the community: https://www.valleycitycalendar.com/