Institutions report fall enrollments

Hesston College students Caleb Cobb, Nevaeh Bowman, Jackson Sundermeyer and Kristyn Oliver walk to class Oct. 3. — Larry Bartel/Hesston College Hesston College students Caleb Cobb, Nevaeh Bowman, Jackson Sundermeyer and Kristyn Oliver walk to class Oct. 3. — Larry Bartel/Hesston College

The higher education institutions affiliated with Mennonite Church USA, Mennonite Church Canada and the Mennonite Brethren denominations in the U.S. and Canada have released fall enrollment statistics.

Hesston College enrollment leaped by 21% from last year, growing from 308 to 372 students, the largest jump in 15 years. The freshman class of 209 students is the largest since 2012.

“This would not have been possible without everyone across campus working in coordination,” said Ross Peterson-Veatch, interim president. “Coaches did a stellar job with their expanded rosters, and everyone who met with students built the relationships necessary to bring them in. The admissions team really organized visits beautifully so that coaches and faculty could meet with students.”

Hesston athletics is transitioning from a two-year to a four-year model as a short-term strategy to increase enrollment, with 62% of students in sports. New athletes increased from 96 students last year to 183 this year, contributing to a total of 233 student athletes on campus, not counting club sports of dance and disc golf. The college hopes to have a new athletic conference affiliation in place next fall.

Out-of-state enrollment jumped from 82 to 135 students, and the number of international students grew from 30 to 64. Students identifying as Mennonite decreased from 50 in 2022 to 23 this fall.

Canadian Mennonite University enrollment on the main campus grew by 10% to 694 students. Incoming students leaped by 40% due to a variety of factors, including the addition of a bachelor of social work degree and the easing of pandemic restrictions, allowing recruiters to get back into schools to promote CMU.

The university has its highest number of domestic students on record. Three-quarters of the student body hail from Manitoba, while the remainder come from other provinces and 30 countries.

Goshen College’s incoming enrollment rose more than 25% over last fall’s number of first-year and transfer students, helping total enrollment grow to 847, 23 more than last year. There are 201 first-year and 50 transfer students. The last two times ­Goshen had more than 200 new students were in 2017 and 2009.

Stephen Wolma, vice president for enrollment management, said athletic recruitment was much higher than in the past: 97 first-year students are student-athletes, up from 60 last year. He was “extremely pleased with the efforts of our coaches over this last cycle.”

The college is increasing its focus on local admissions, strengthening relationships with high schools in Goshen and Elkhart, Ind.

Total undergraduate headcount grew slightly from 773 to 780 students, while graduate program enrollment grew from 51 to 67.

Bethel College enrollment rose by four students to a headcount of 507, continuing upward movement after a low of 444 students in 2018.

Eric Preheim, director of admissions, said the first-year class of 170 students is the largest since 1984. Including transfers, international and former students returning, there are 209 new students, the highest amount since 2017.

“This makes six straight years of enrollment growth,” he said, “which is something that I think shows the strength of the college through difficult times. It’s a measure not only of recruiting but of retention as well.”

Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary enrollment is level, growing by one to 190 students, maintaining the highest enrollment at the seminary since 2009. Graduate students account for 149 students, identical to last fall, and undergraduates in the nondegree certificate Journey Missional Leadership Development program increased to 41 students.

“We are excited to see participants enrolling in the Journey program from various backgrounds and denominations,” said Steve Norton, Journey assistant director. “A new relationship is emerging with BIC (Be in Christ) Canada, due to the closing of a Bible school that BIC students were using. Also, a student who is a bishop in Mennonite Church Uganda has been instrumental in encouraging three other students to begin the program.”

Graduate students come from 18 countries, with 82 from the U.S., four from Canada and 63 from elsewhere. Last year counted 65 U.S. graduate students, 11 from Canada and 73 other international students.

Scott Janzen, assistant dean, registrar and director of retention, said a high student visa denial rate the last two years has affected campus programs and full-time enrollment. Only one of 14 admitted international students was granted a visa to study on campus this year, and only three received a visa in 2023.

Campus-based programs stayed mostly level, while distance-friendly online programs grew slightly. Increases came in graduate certificate programs, with 10 of the 22 students in the Spanish track that began in 2023, and the recently launched doctor of ministry in leadership, which has grown from seven students in 2023 to 12 this fall.

A majority of AMBS students are from denominations affiliated with Mennonite World Conference, with 26 coming from other Christian traditions.

Fresno Pacific University enrollment declined by 1% from 2,919 to 2,889 students, with gains in graduate programs making up for declines in undergraduate and bachelor’s degree completion. Brad Camilleri, vice president of enrollment management, said the U.S. Department of Education badly mismanaged the financial aid application process for all students, leading to a traditional undergraduate decrease from 827 students last year to 791 this year.

Graduate and seminary headcount grew by nearly 3% to 1,342 students, driven by new master’s degrees offered in social work, nursing and educational administrative services.

Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary enrollment decreased from 110 to 101, though the number of new students grew. Half of the incoming class is enrolled in the master of arts in marriage and family therapy program.

Bachelor’s degree completion declined by 4% to 756 students, an improvement over last year’s 21% decrease, as FPU continues to rebound from the COVID pandemic’s impact on community college enrollments.

Conrad Grebel University ­College enrollment dropped slightly from last fall by six to 208 students, with 172 living on campus. Undergraduate enrollment decreased by 14%.

Eastern Mennonite University students unwind Aug. 25 during Orientation Weekend. — Macson McGuigan/EMU
Eastern Mennonite University students unwind Aug. 25 during Orientation Weekend. — Macson McGuigan/EMU

The master of peace and conflict studies and master of theological studies graduate programs have 34 and 31 students, holding steady from 36 and 29 students last year. The theological studies program grew by 17%, with just over half of its students connected to Mennonite congregations.

Tabor College undergraduate enrollment decreased by 36 to 495 students, while graduate and online enrollment held steady. Total enrollment decreased from 637 to 621 after last year’s retention rate of 78% — the best in a decade — dropped to 72%.

“After graduating a large class last May, we are very optimistic about our spring transfer class and seeing more students understand why a decidedly Christian education is so valuable,” said President David Janzen.

Students come from 31 countries, three more than last year.

Bluffton University’s full-time undergraduate and graduate enrollment decreased from 664 last year to 641 students this fall, though out-of-state enrollment increased to 80 students from 12 states.

The master of social work program, operated jointly with Goshen College, doubled its enrollment, helping overall graduate program enrollment hold steady.

Eastern Mennonite University enrollment declined to 1,296 students in undergraduate, graduate and noncredit courses after 1,410 students were taking classes last fall, continuing a downward trend since a high mark of 1,908 in 2015. Losses over the past year were biggest among part-time students.

Incoming students identifying as people of color jumped by 10% to 53% of the first-year class. A third of students are the first generation in their family to attend college, and 43% are student athletes. The aviation program at EMU at Lancas­ter in Pennsylvania grew from nine to 23 new students, and the Intensive English Program grew from 84 to 99 students.

EMU’s eight graduate programs, which include Eastern Mennonite Seminary and the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, have a full-time equivalent enrollment of 225 students. New graduate students grew by 30%. Seminary enrollment is down slightly, from 50 to 47 students, but incoming students rose dramatically from four new students last year to 13 this year.

Tim Huber

Tim Huber is associate editor at Anabaptist World. He worked at Mennonite World Review since 2011. A graduate of Tabor College, Read More

Anabaptist World

Anabaptist World Inc. (AW) is an independent journalistic ministry serving the global Anabaptist movement. We seek to inform, inspire and Read More

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