Lake Land Again First Choice of Area High School Graduates

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Published on October 9 2018 10:58 am
Last Updated on October 9 2018 10:58 am
Written by Greg Sapp

The 2018 Fall 10th Day Enrollment Report shows Lake Land College continues to be the first choice among district high school seniors. For 17 years, the college has attracted more than 30 percent of all area high school graduates.

This fall, 34 percent of the Class of 2018 is enrolled at Lake Land College. Throughout the district, many schools have nearly 40 percent of the graduating class attending Lake Land, with some schools nearing 70 percent. The schools with the highest percentage enrolled are Neoga Junior Senior High, Stewardson-Strasburg High School, Sullivan High School and Kansas High School. The schools with the largest number of graduates enrolled are Mattoon, Charleston, Effingham and Sullivan. In total, 625 in-district graduates are enrolled this fall.

When looking at all new high school graduates, the number grows to 758. Data from the National Student Clearinghouse indicates in-district graduates have chosen Lake Land College over any other college by a 10 to 1 ratio each of the past three years and we anticipate that 2018 will be no exception. Overall, there are 4,582 students enrolled in Lake Land College classes this fall semester.

Despite consistent enrollment of high school graduates, fall enrollment shows an overall 7.7 percent drop in headcount and a 4.9 percent drop in credit hours or full time equivalency (FTE), compared to last fall, according to the 10th day report. Much of the decline comes in the area of non-degree enrollment which includes students taking individual courses but not pursuing a degree or certificate.

Two main factors influencing enrollment are the size of the high school graduating class and increased opportunities for employment in our area. This year’s high school graduating class of 1,826 was the second smallest in the college’s history.

Vice-President for Student Services Tina Stovall said over time, the college has seen a direct correlation between unemployment rates and college enrollment, particularly with adult students. With today’s unemployment rate less than 4 percent, the adult student enrollment at the start of fall semester has dropped by nearly 40 percent over the past five years.