Rhodes State College is announcing double-digit enrollment growth for both Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 semesters amidst a backdrop of national trends highlighting the resilience and vitality of community colleges.
Year over year, Rhodes State College shows a 12.3% enrollment increase for Fall 2023 and a preliminary 17% increase for Spring 2024, welcoming an additional 498 students. This positions Rhodes State well ahead of the national trend in community college enrollment growth. According to CC Daily, “Community colleges gained 118,000 students in the fall of 2023 – a 2.6% increase – the highest growth of any sector in higher education.”
Recent data released by the Ohio Association of Community Colleges (OACC) for Fall 2023 enrollments, recognizes Rhodes State College as the second-highest institution in Ohio in terms of total percentage growth.
Programs where Rhodes State is seeing significant growth compared to Spring 2023 in the following areas Pre-Nursing, Nursing, Digital Marketing & Media, Electro-mechanical Engineering Technology, and Addiction Services.
For College Credit Plus (CCP), the state program where high school students who are college ready can attend college, Rhodes State saw a 22% increase or 350 additional students. The College has worked to grow the number of school districts and expand the offerings at existing partnerships. “We believe this expansion is due to two things 1) the level of service we provide our partners is above and beyond and 2) last year the State of Ohio’s Auditor released a report illustrating the participation of all of Ohio’s school districts in the CCP program. This report has spurred many school districts to grow their involvement in CCP,” said Dr. Brendan Greaney, Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs.
Additionally, first-time enrolled students at Rhodes State grew by 22.7% or 92 students this past fall. This growth, and growth in students coming to Rhodes directly from high school, are occurring as the College overhauled its enrollment processes a few years ago to focus on building relationships with students and introducing Success Navigators. A Success Navigator is a new student’s single point of contact for all of their questions and needs, giving students intensive personal attention to be successful in college.
"Rhodes State College is deeply proud of the incredible growth we've experienced, which reflects our commitment to providing accessible, innovative, and high-quality education to our students," added Greaney. "This milestone achievement underscores our unwavering dedication to student success, academic excellence, and community engagement. We are excited to continue our journey of empowering students to thrive in their academic and professional pursuits."
Additionally, the College has heavily invested in new academic offerings and facilities, including an agriculture program, RN-BSN program, Advanced Manufacturing lab with Robotics, Justin A. Borra Mental Health and Addiction Services Center, Surgery Technology program, and the state-of-the art Borra Center for Health Sciences.
For further inquiries, please contact Jenna Brinkman at brinkman.j@rhodesstate.edu.
