Rockford University Reports Highest Enrollment In 20 Years

Last week I shared the story that the Rockford area ranked as the third least-educated metro area in the U.S. Well, now it's only fair to point out the good news coming from Rockford University.

Officials say enrollment of full-time undergraduate students at Rockford University has reached a 20-year high of 878 students for fall 2014. That's up nearly nine percent over last year. The University also recruited the largest first-year class in a decade with 146 students.

The school says transfer enrollments are also at a 20-year high, bringing the total number of full-time new students entering traditional undergraduate programming to 341 students. University officials point out the increase in enrollment has occurred despite a decrease in high school graduates in Illinois and the region.

Vice President for Enrollment Management Eric Fulcomer credits several factors for the strong numbers:

“Rockford University has invested $13 million in campus infrastructure and facilities over the past five years; we’ve leveraged our name change to University with a new Rock Solid marketing campaign that is proving to resonate with diverse audiences; we’ve made improvements in our recruitment processes and procedures; and perhaps most importantly, the dedication of our faculty and staff to foster a satisfying student experience is exceptional.”

The University’s international student population has also seen a six percent increase over 2013 with 49 students from 22 countries enrolled in programs. Total student enrollment is 1,284, up four percent over 2013.