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MILLIGAN COLLEGE, TN (Sept. 5, 2013) — Milligan College’s fall enrollment and retention rates have reached historic highs, with a record-setting 1,213 students registered for classes.
This is a 4.2 percent increase over fall 2012 enrollment, and it also surpasses Milligan’s previous record enrollment of 1,208 students announced in fall 2011.
The high enrollment is the result of many factors, most notably the strong incoming class and record retention rates, which are well above national and peer averages. Milligan’s freshman-sophomore retention rate is an all-time high of 86 percent, while the overall retention rate is up to almost 92 percent. These rates are 20 to 30 percent higher than other local colleges and universities, as well as national averages.
In addition, this year’s new student class is 288, one of the largest since the late 1960s, when colleges experienced a short-lived enrollment boom due to the Vietnam War draft.
“Our numbers indicate that we’re attracting a higher number of new students, but just as importantly, we’re also more successful than ever in retaining our current students,” said Milligan President Dr. Bill Greer. “We can attribute these accomplishments to many things including our strong programs for undergraduate, graduate and professional students. Ultimately, it’s our commitment to scholarship, community and faith that draws and connects students to Milligan.”
Milligan has several programs to ensure students have the opportunity to succeed, including faculty and peer mentoring programs, free tutoring, and the Office of Student Success, whose mission is to help students navigate the college experience. These programs, coupled with a low student-to-faculty ratio, emphasize the individual needs of students in the context of community.
The college also continues to add new facilities, activities, programs and services that have enhanced growth and enrollment. A few of these include the new Milligan Housing Village that opened this fall, the men’s volleyball team recently added to Milligan’s strong athletics program, and student development programs intended to create a tight-knit campus community.
This fall, the Milligan community has 906 traditional undergraduate students and 307 enrolled in its graduate and adult degree-completion programs.
In addition to its enrollment numbers, the college also has climbed in several national rankings. Most recently, it was ranked among the top 25 baccalaureate colleges in the nation in Washington Monthly’s 2013 College Guide Rankings. Washington Monthly also named Milligan a “Best Bang for the Buck” school, listing it fifth among baccalaureate schools based on the economic value students receive per dollar.
“Milligan has many numbers to celebrate this fall, from our rankings to our retention,” Greer said. “But more than that, we celebrate our commitment to excellence in scholarship, we celebrate our cherished sense of community, and we celebrate, most of all, our faith-driven mission that helps our students prepare for lives of service.”
Final enrollment statistics will be released from the Registrar’s Office later this month. For more information about Milligan College, visit www.milligan.edu.