Goshen College’s increased enrollment and retention combine for overall growth

GOSHEN, Ind. — Goshen College began the 2006-07 academic year with an overall student enrollment of 951, compared with 922 a year ago, according to the college’s registrar’s office. The enrollment count includes both full- and part-time traditional students and those taking courses or seeking degrees through Goshen’s Division of Adult and External Studies.

Contributing to that three percent growth are 206 students who are enrolled in the largest first-year class since 1999; a year ago the first-year class numbered 195. Overall new student enrollment is 272 students, compared with 264 last year.

Another strong sign for Goshen College is student satisfaction, as measured by the retention rate of first-year students returning for their sophomore year. As fall classes got under way, 84 percent of last year’s first-year students were again taking classes, marking the fourth year in a row of retention rates at or above 80 percent. Nationally, ACT data reports that in 2001, an average of 74 percent of students who were enrolled in four-year colleges returned to the same college for their sophomore year.

“Both the combined growth of new students and the first-to-second year retention rate suggest a trend for sustainable growth in the future at Goshen College,” said Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Bill Born. “They also reflect the positive feeling on campus as we begin both this academic year and President Jim Brenneman’s leadership.”

The profile of the Class of 2010 continues to show the strong academic credentials of Goshen College students. The average grade point average for the incoming class is 3.53, with an average SAT score of 1126 and ACT score of 24. Class members come from eight countries and 21 states, including 44 percent from Indiana and 24 percent from Pennsylvania and Ohio. The top two declared majors are biology and nursing.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a four-year residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.