The enrollment at Northwest College held steady in the fall 2021 semester.  

Lisa Smith, NWC institutional research manager, gave a presentation this month on the fall figures. 

Headcount was down by a single student over fall 2020, and full-time equivalent enrollment was down 4% over the same time period. The state average for FTE of all colleges was 3%. 

Smith explained that  the college submits its figures to the Wyoming Community College Commission at the end of the semester so all students who attended are counted. The commission then compiles the data and presents it at an April meeting, when it’s officially released in its term enrollment report. 

In fall 2021, NWC had a headcount of 1,442 students, down from 1,443 in fall 2020. 

Smith noted that students are taking fewer credit hours. Full-time equivalent enrollment is the total credit hours of all students enrolled during the semester, divided by 12. 

In the fall semester, the FTE at NWC was 155.2. 

The college had the largest percentage of enrolled full-time students, which is at least 12 credit hours. 

“That has been typical. We have had the largest full-time percentage … at least since 2000,” Smith said. 

Full-time students were 45% of the total students enrolled, and 55% of students at NWC were enrolled part time. 

Smith said it was only in the past year or so that part-time students represented a larger share of the total enrollment at NWC. 

The largest age group at NWC are students 18-19 years old, which comprise 30% of the students enrolled. 

Students from Park, Big Horn, and Washakie counties made up 72% of the college’s total enrollment, and 12% were from border states. Students from non-border states represent 6% of the college’s enrollment, and 3% were from other countries. 

Smith noted that NWC typically brings in a higher percentage of out-of-state students than other colleges in the state. 

Of all the colleges in the state, NWC had the second highest number of students taking 12 to 14 credit hours, and the highest percentage of students taking 15 to 17 credit hours. 

“We are strong in that area,” Smith said. 

Official dual and concurrent enrollment figures are from the 2020 to 2021 public school year. 

During that period, NWC had 310 students enrolled as concurrent enrollment students, which are students taking college-approved courses taught by high school teachers. There were 411 NWC students enrolled as dual enrollment, which are college courses taught at the college. 

Lisa Watson, NWC president, said more high school students are preferring to take dual enrollment courses over concurrent enrollment. 

“You want to come to campus and take the class as a real student. There’s value in that right now,” Watson said.