BLINN COLLEGE SETS ENROLLMENT RECORD

  

Blinn College has attracted a record number of students from across the state for the second consecutive year, the College announced today.

Fueled by strong growth on its Bryan campus and in its online course offerings, Blinn registered 19,317 students for the Fall 2014 semester, an increase of 4.9 percent over last year and the highest total in the College’s 131-year history. Since 2006, Blinn’s enrollment has increased 37.5 percent.

Blinn EnrollmentAccording to the Texas Association of Community Colleges, two-year college enrollment is down slightly statewide.

Overall contact hours – the number of hours students spend with their instructors – increased 2.7 percent to 3,626,080. State funding is based on contact hours and student success milestones.

The Bryan campus saw a 6.4 percent increase with 13,587 students – 816 more than last year. The College is also seeing increased demand for its online courses, with 1,267 students electing to take courses through Blinn’s Distance Learning Program. That program has seen a 24.3 percent increase since last Fall.

Earlier this year, Dallas-based architectural design and planning firm BOKA Powell projected that Blinn’s Brazos County campuses could see enrollment exceed 15,000 by 2017 and approach 20,000 by 2025.

Those growth projections were based upon Blinn’s strong academic reputation and its partnerships with Texas A&M, Sam Houston State and Texas State universities, and the universities of Texas and Houston. The Blinn TEAM (Transfer Enrollment at A&M) Program allows selected applicants to Texas A&M’s freshman class a unique co-enrollment opportunity with the chance to earn full Texas A&M admission. The first of its kind between a major university and a community college, the initiative received the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Recognition of Excellence.

This Fall, 1,091 students enrolled in the TEAM Program, while another 227 participated in the Texas A&M Engineering Academy at Blinn.

The growth of Bryan-College Station and development of the Research Valley were cited as key factors in Blinn’s projected growth, even as the College has proven unique among community colleges in attracting students from across the state. Blinn students came from 1,533 zip codes in Fall 2013, drawing significant numbers from Houston, San Antonio, Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth.

With Blinn’s growth comes the opportunity to make an even greater impact in the community. A study released earlier this year revealed that Blinn makes a $345.3 million annual impact on the local economy, including $247. 4 million each year in Bryan-College Station. That marks a 21.7 percent greater impact than a similar study conducted in 2010. Story courtesy of Blinn College.

 

Fall 2014 Fall 2013 % Change
Bryan 13,587 12,771 6.4%
Brenham 2,455 2,559 -4.1%
Distance Learning 1,267 1,019 24.3%
Schulenburg 187 234 -20.1%
Sealy 133 151 -11.9%
High Schools 1,585 1,575 0.6%
TOTAL 19,317 18,413 4.9%
Contact Hours 3,626,080 3,532,448 2.7%
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4 Comments

  1. Unfortunately, that is not true. The reason Blinn maintains the Sealy Campus is because if Blinn can’t meet the needs of a community within their district. Another community college can come in and take over.

  2. With some community colleges going broke in Texas, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Texas legislature didn’t review the laws regarding redistricting soon. There has already been one political figure in Bryan who has suggested that Lone Star could do a better job in Bryan than Blinn. And the rumor is that Lone Star has already made an offer to buy Blinn Bryan. I’m just saying the the Board needs to take care of the assets Blinn Brenham has.

  3. By law, community colleges have assigned service districts, and Brazos County is legally bound to Blinn’s service district …. That means it would require an act of the legislature to move Bryan into another service district such as Lone Star college. So it is therefore impossible for any other community college to “take over” the Bryan Blinn campus.

  4. Well, of course, Brenham enrollment is dropping. Those expensive new deans are moving distance education classes originally taught by Brenham instructors to Bryan instructors. Those students then count on the Bryan campus rather than the Brenham campus. This is so when Lone Star College System takes over the Bryan Campus they will have Brenham’s most valuable asset — Distance Education because it will have all moved over to Bryan. The Distance Education needs to be on Brenham campus totally! Bring that asset home!!

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