After years of declines, enrollment at North Idaho College appears to be rebounding.
The beleaguered Coeur d’Alene community college reported significant, across-the-board enrollment increases for the first time in more than a decade, the Coeur d’Alene Press reported last week.
A few snapshots, according to the Press:
- Overall enrollment totaled 2,914, a 7% increase.
- In career-technical education, 179 first-time students are seeking a degree, up almost 27%.
- All told, 585 first-time, full-time students are seeking a degree, nearly a 30% increase.
“To me, that’s a signal that people are fully onboard and believe in us,” NIC President Nick Swayne said. “Most of these students have graduated high school and are making the decision to attend NIC for the full two years to earn their associate’s degree.”
Amidst years of political infighting and administrative overhaul — crises that have threatened the college’s accreditation — NIC has lagged behind other Idaho colleges that have managed to reverse pandemic-era enrollment losses.
Even as recently as this spring, NIC reported a year-to-year decline in spring headcount, while every other state institution reported increases.
There is one missing piece from the early enrollment picture, the Press reported: dual credit. While NIC opened its fall semester on Aug. 19, many North Idaho high schools do not reopen until after Labor Day.
All colleges and universities must report their fall enrollment to the State Board of Education in October.
