CCU Marks 10th Consecutive Year of Enrollment Growth
Record traditional student enrollment and expanding graduate-level programs pushed Colorado Christian University to its 10th consecutive year of enrollment growth. Total University enrollment has reached 8,486, the highest total enrollment in the 105-year history of the institution.
"First and foremost, CCU is a Christ-centered university. While other universities shy away from their founding principles, at CCU we are leaning in. We are unapologetically Christian and provide an education with a Christian worldview," said Dr. Donald W. Sweeting, CCU president. "This commitment sets CCU apart from other institutions and continues to fuel our growth."
The programs seeing the largest growth continue to be at the graduate level, with 1,467 enrolled last year. This is an increase of nearly 10 percent over the previous year, and an 83 percent increase over the last decade. Graduate-level enrollment has been buoyed by growing master-level offerings and the recently launched Doctor of Nursing Practice, the University's first doctoral-level degree offering.
For the fall 2019 semester, CCU has a record 1,414 traditional undergraduate students enrolled in the College of Undergraduate Studies, with a record retention rate of 83 percent (freshmen to sophomore year). Adult undergraduate enrollment in the College of Adult and Graduate Studies reached 5,605, for a total of 7,019 enrolled undergraduates at CCU.
"Colorado Christian University's continued growth is a testament to the hard work of faculty, staff, and friends of the University," Sweeting said. "The University's commitment to providing world-class higher education rooted in traditional Christian values continues to prove an attractive option for students from all walks of life."
CCU continues to attract a geographically diverse student body, drawing students from all 50 states and 21 other countries. The University was recently named the fourth-fastest growing institution among private, nonprofit, master's degree granting colleges and universities in The Chronicle of Higher Education's 2019-20 Almanac. The ranking highlights the University's 244 percent enrollment growth from 2007 to 2017.
"CCU has been truly blessed as we've seen total enrollment increase consecutively for a decade," said Dan Cohrs, executive vice president of the University. "Our growth in online course offerings for adult students has complemented our campus-based traditional programs, and allowed us to reach even more students. Despite the exponential growth, CCU remains committed to preserving our low faculty-to-student ratio to enhance individualized attention for students in both colleges."
In addition to a growing traditional undergraduate student body, online education continues to fuel growth at CCU. Over the last year, 94 percent of all students in the College of Adult and Graduate Studies took classes online. Through CCU Online, the University offers more than 80 degrees and academic program options available 100 percent online.
The sustained increase in enrollment at CCU has coincided with the launch and expansion of several of the University's most popular programs. Enrollment in CCU's Master of Arts in Counseling program has grown by 212 percent since the accredited master's degree added an online option in 2014. Other advancements include expanding the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program to encompass both adult and traditional undergraduate students, adding a traditional undergraduate industrial engineering program, launching an undergraduate Great Books honors program, and introducing new master's programs in business, technology, and education.
"Having seen consistent growth in our health science programs, the University has heavily invested in new facilities, including the School of Nursing and Health Professions Simulation Center that serves students in both the College of Adult and Graduate Studies and the College of Undergraduate Studies," Cohrs said. "We've also seen a great transformation of our residential campus with the construction of a new academic building, student center, and two residential halls in the last seven years, with additional buildings in the planning phase."
Enrollment data is gathered from the University's census data records, which are compiled yearly. For more details related to CCU's fall 2019 enrollment, as well as information including retention and graduation rates, financial aid data, and other demographic information, visit facts and stats.