VCSU Sets 6th Enrollment Record, Headcount Up 21%

Valley City State University has set enrollment records with a total headcount of 1,676 students and an undergraduate headcount of 1,541, according to official fall term 2020 figures released by the university.

The 1,676 total headcount surpasses the previous record of 1,665 set in fall 2019, and the undergraduate headcount of 1,541 surpasses the previous record of 1,524, also from last fall.

The record headcount enrollment marks the sixth consecutive year of record-breaking numbers for VCSU, dating back to a fall 2015 mark of 1,422 that surpassed the previous record of 1,384 set in 2011. Over the decade beginning in fall 2011, VCSU’s headcount has increased by 21%.

“We’re very excited to share the news of our record enrollment,” said President Alan LaFave. “That count represents individual students, together with their families, who have actively chosen Valley City State University for their education. They are the reason we are here, and it’s the hard work of those students and our faculty, staff and alumni that continues to propel us forward together.”

Retention of full-time students from their first year to their second plays a large role in overall enrollment numbers; this fall’s cohort featured a 72% retention rate, VCSU’s second highest retention rate over the decade.

The enrollment records and solid retention rates have contributed to a positive fall semester that has also seen VCSU ranked the No. 4 public regional college in the Midwest by U.S. News and selected as one of 21 Great Plains schools as a “Hidden Gem” by College Raptor.