VCSU sets enrollment records

Valley City State University has set enrollment records with a total headcount of 1,665 students and an undergraduate headcount of 1,524, according to official fall term 2019 figures released by the university.

The 1,665 total headcount surpasses the previous record of 1,547 set in fall 2018, a 7.6% increase, and the undergraduate headcount of 1,524 surpasses the previous record of 1,404, also from fall 2018, an 8.5% increase.

The full-time equivalent (FTE) figure has also increased from 2018 to 2019, moving from 1,096 to 1,164, a 6.2% increase.

The headcount enrollment marks the fifth consecutive year of record-breaking numbers for VCSU, beginning with a 2015 mark of 1,422 that surpassed the previous record of 1,384 set in 2011.

“These are exciting times at Vally City State,” said President Alan LaFave, “and the record numbers represent the active choice that students make when they enroll at VCSU. The numbers are also a positive indicator of the tremendous work being done by our faculty and staff, with the strong support we receive from alumni, donors and the Valley City community, along with the North Dakota University System and the North Dakota Legislature. The personal attention that students receive both on campus and online makes for an outstanding education and a tremendous value, and I’m so very proud of the people who make that happen year in and year out.”

The enrollment records contribute to a positive fall term that has seen VCSU ranked the No. 2 public regional college in the Midwest by U.S. News and 51st among 372 schools in the Midwest in Washington Monthly’s Best Bang for the Buck Colleges (Midwest) listings.

The university will celebrate the inauguration of President LaFave on Friday, Sept. 27; the inauguration festivities also coincide with homecoming activities on the VCSU campus.