Area colleges experience enrollment boomlet

By Maria Bibbs
Diversity Institute Fellow

10.29.02

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Several Nashville colleges and universities are enjoying record-high enrollments this fall.

Others experienced increases over last year while just one campus among those surveyed by The Diversity Institute reported a decline in undergraduate enrollment. But even that school’s graduate enrollment rose.

Administrators cite the slow economy, aggressive recruitment strategies and the population growth in Davidson County as some reasons why new and returning students are filling local college classrooms.

Belmont University’s enrollment for the fall semester reached a record high with more than 3,350 students, which is a 6.8 percent increase from last year’s record.

“Even in this time of less than perfect economic conditions, Belmont University has been able to achieve record-breaking growth,” said Belmont President Robert Fisher.

At Volunteer State Community College, enrollment rose 2.3 percent from last year’s figure of 6,822, making this year’s enrollment of 6,979 students the highest ever.

“As the economy drops, people start losing their jobs and looking to education,” said Communications Coordinator David Hefner. “Part of our job is to offer degrees where there’s the promise of job stability.”

Vanderbilt University had no room to admit freshman applicants who were placed on a waiting list because more students who were accepted actually enrolled, according to Dean of Undergraduate Admissions William Shain. The number of freshmen enrolled at Vanderbilt this fall increased by 1.6 percent from a year ago. Vanderbilt’s overall enrollment of 10,885 is a 3.7 percent increase from last year’s enrollment of 10,496.

Tennessee State University experienced a growth of 2.5 percent in its enrollment this fall. The university’s location in Tennessee’s capital draws students who want to attend an affordable public university in an environment that is neither an overwhelmingly large city, nor a remote area, according to public relations director Phyllis Qualls-Brooks.

“In Nashville, it’s the best bang for your buck,” said Qualls-Brooks.

Fisk University officials say they also experienced an increase in enrollment, but did not release exact figures.

Despite these trends, Lipscomb University experienced a drop in undergraduate enrollment by 1.7 percent.

“I think the numbers went down due to our own failure to recruit as aggressively as we have in the past,” said G. David England, director of public relations.

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Articles by fall 2002 Diversity Institute Fellows
Collection page for news stories written by members of the fall 2002 Diversity Institute class.  10.29.02