Cincinnati State enrollment jumps 23.5 percent

September 17, 2009

Enrollment at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College is up 23.5 percent over the same period in 2008, and is now at an all-time high.

The increase for the College’s Early Fall term comes on the heels of a Summer term that saw enrollment climb by 32 percent over the prior year, and a Spring 2009 enrollment increase of nearly 9 percent over the Spring 2008 term.

“Students are coming to Cincinnati State in record numbers,’’ said interim president Dr. John Henderson. “It’s encouraging to see so many men and women pursuing the education and training they need to succeed in today’s economy.’’

Unlike most schools, which operate on semesters or quarters, Cincinnati State’s calendar is built around five academic terms, each nine and a half weeks in length. As of today, enrollment for the 2009 Early Fall term stood at 10,056. In 2008 the Early Fall term headcount was 8,145.

Dr. Henderson said Cincinnati State has been able to accommodate the influx of new students by hiring more part-time instructors and scheduling classes throughout the evening hours as well as during the day.

But, he said, continuing enrollment growth will soon challenge the College’s physical and operational resources. “We are committed to providing a high-quality, cost-effective education to our students,’’ Dr. Henderson said. “And we will give Greater Cincinnati’s employers a workforce they can count on.’’

Anne Foster, director of Cincinnati State’s Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness, said enrollment growth has been strong along a variety of demographic lines.

She noted, for example, that the number of students age 19-22 rose 33 percent in Early Fall 2009 over the same period a year ago. This suggests that some students are taking advantage of Cincinnati State’s relatively inexpensive tuition.

Foster also noted that enrollment at Cincinnati State is up 18 percent among students age 25-29, 17 percent for those 30-39 and 9 percent for those age 40-49. This suggests that area residents affected by the economy are coming to Cincinnati State for retraining or education for new careers.

The average age of the student body on the Cincinnati State campus today is 27.5. Nearly 30 percent of all students are age 30 or above.

Among other demographic highlights:

• About 67 percent of Cincinnati State students come from Hamilton County, 9 percent from Butler County, 8 percent from Northern Kentucky and 5 percent from Clermont County, 3 percent from Warren County, 2 percent from Indiana. Three percent are international students.
• African-American students account for about 27 percent of Cincinnati State’s enrollment.
• Among students enrolling in Cincinnati State for the first time, there was a 59 percent increase in the number entering nursing programs.

Dr. Monica Posey, Academic Vice President, said Cincinnati State is seeing significant growth in the number of students seeking associate of arts and associate of science degrees (essentially taking liberal arts courses that form the basis for the subsequent pursuit a bachelor’s degree.)

She also noted that enrollment in renewable energy and energy efficiency program is up by more than 200 percent, biomedical equipment and information systems technology by 104 percent, nursing 33 percent, early childhood care and education 32 percent, and the business management technology program 19 percent.