Freshmen Enrollment Up 20 Percent at CCU
Amid the nation's improving yet still slumped financial crisis -- the weight of which has been felt at numerous colleges and universities -- Colorado Christian University is poised for another year of record growth.
In 2009, CCU's College of Undergraduate Studies had its largest traditional freshman class ever at 246 students. This May, the University announced the early enrollment figures for its 2010-11 academic year, projecting another record year: Traditional freshmen enrollment was already at 226 students, up 20 percent from the same time in 2009.
As of today, freshmen enrollment has jumped to equal the 2009 total, while overall enrollment is just 30 students shy. The growth is good news for the small, liberal-arts university, and it's attributed in large part to a new emphasis on partnerships with local and regional schools, churches, and parachurch ministries.
"This year we've gleaned a total of 201 applications so far from these initiatives, with 103 already enrolled, almost doubling our previous take from Christian schools alone," stated Jim McCormick, CCU Vice President for Student Development and a key player in the College's recruiting strategy. Adding to this year's boosted freshmen headcount are an increased number of current CCU students opting to continue their college careers there.
"It would seem that students and families are looking more and more for value in their college dollars, and are opting for small niche schools like us who deliver a highly personalized and morally grounded experience," McCormick added. Among its standard curriculum and programming, the University distinctly emphasizes character formation and ethical development as part of learning and on-campus experiences.
From June through end of summer in each of the last three years, CCU has enrolled approximately 130 additional students. If this trend holds, the University expects to be at more than 400 new freshmen and transfer students this fall, approximately 10 percent higher than in 2009. Meanwhile, CCU's enrollment counselors are already heavy into the next recruiting season, ahead by 1,500 in the number of admission inquiries received from high-school juniors.