BLINN’S FALL 2024 ENROLLMENT DIPS FROM LAST YEAR

  

Districtwide enrollment for Blinn College’s fall 2024 semester is down slightly from a year ago.

The Blinn Board of Trustees met Monday to hear certified enrollment totals for fall 2024, which came in at 18,089 students.  That number is a drop of 1.16 percent, or 212 students, from the fall 2023 semester.  Student credit hours are also down from the previous fall semester by 2.65 percent.

Vice Chancellor for Student Services Dr. Becky McBride said despite the decline, Blinn’s overall enrollment trends since COVID remain positive.  She said a major contributor to the decrease is four-year institutions dramatically increasing their own enrollment figures.

The Bryan Campus maintained the largest student headcount at 5,095 students, but that campus’ population dropped by 16.52 percent from last fall.  Next was the RELLIS Campus at 4,306 students, up 13.26 percent.  That was followed by 3,956 online students, who grew by 0.28 percent; 2,552 high school dual credit students, up 18.97 percent; 1,971 students on the Brenham Campus, down 6.54 percent; 69 Schulenburg Campus students, up 16.95 percent; 34 students on the Sealy Campus, down 17.07 percent; and two students on the Waller Campus, up from one when Blinn first started offering evening classes at Waller ISD. 

Dr. McBride mentioned during her preliminary enrollment report in September that it would take some time before Blinn begins seeing higher enrollment in Waller, as the Waller Campus enrollment does not account for over 200 students who are taking dual credit classes.

Board Chair Jim Kolkhorst asked Dr. McBride if Blinn should be concerned about four-year colleges and universities continuing to increase their enrollment in the long-term.  She replied that she believes this will be a short-term issue, due to those institutions eventually reaching their capacity.

In other items, the board accepted the College’s audited annual comprehensive financial report.  It also authorized administrators to negotiate a contract with SpawGlass Construction out of Bryan-College Station for construction manager at risk services for central plant upgrades on the Brenham Campus.  Mark Feldhake, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Facilities, Planning and Construction, said the project will replace old water chiller units and upgrade capacity with an extra chiller and cooling tower.

Feldhake said the total project cost is budgeted at $6.8 million and anticipates a guaranteed maximum price from SpawGlass would come back to the board in the spring.  Funds for the project are coming from the College’s unrestricted cash.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS