CLC Shows Enrollment Gains

Central Lakes College, Brainerd and Staples, was the 22nd fastest-growing public, two-year college in the nation within its enrollment category in 2008.

The Community College Week newspaper on Nov. 30 reported that it had compiled data on the nation’s fastest-growing community colleges.

The Fall Enrollment Survey surveyed enrollment headcount increases from fall 2007 to fall 2008, which placed colleges in four enrollment categories for comparison. Central Lakes College showed a 15.4 percent increase. The year before, CLC had grown by 14.8 percent to rank 12th.

CLC's headcount went from 3,343 to 3,858, an increase of 515 students, among colleges with enrollments of 2,500-4,999. In the report, CLC was one of only two Minnesota two-year colleges in the Top 50, with Dakota County Technical growing by 14.1 percent.

In its third straight year of significant growth, the community and technical college is accommodating more students in 2009. On the 30th day of the current fall semester CLC reported a 7.5 percent increase from the same point in 2008, with a headcount of 4,010. On Dec. 7, the headcount was at 4,575.

CLC spring semester registration is under way, with enrollment data suggesting a potential 34-percent headcount increase over spring 2009. The spring term starts Jan. 11, 2010.