Snow reports record
enrollment of 5,800
10-15-2020
EPRHAIM—Even with a global pandemic, Snow College has reported a record-breaking enrollment of 5,800 students this year.
This marks a 7.7 percent increase in total students over last year, according to Marci Larsen, assistant to the president. These numbers were verified and released today by the Utah System of Higher Education.
Enrollment at Snow College has been trending down for the past three years, Larsen said. “So this move up is big,” she said.
Snow is only one of three other Utah colleges and universities to see an increase in enrollment this year.
While enrollment was up in nearly every category, one student segment that saw a significant increase was first-time freshman who are more than one year out of high school, Larsen said.
These are students who took a break from school for a time and have decided to pursue higher education. Another area of significant growth was in non-credit seeking students. This is due largely to the Learn and Work in Utah program. This program gives individuals whose employment was affected by COVID-19 the chance to learn new skill or re-tool and get back into the workforce quickly.
Snow College is proud to partner with Learn and Work in Utah to bring these opportunities to central Utah for a non-traditional aged population, Larsen said.
Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management Teri Clawson said, “Our goal at Snow College is to provide the highest quality education possible for our students. I am thrilled that more and more students are recognizing that and putting their trust in us. I’m so proud of my team for their dedication to getting the word out about Snow College.”
Clawson also noted the college’s significant enrollment increase compares favorable for state institutions and is even more impressive when analyzing trends of two-year colleges in the western United States.
Over 90 percent of Snow’s courses are being offered face-to-face, in spite of COVID-19, which seems to resonate well with students’ desire to have some sort of normalcy to their education, Larsen said.
Snow College President Bradley Cook said this enrollment growth aligns with the college’s recently completed strategic plan to propel Snow College forward.
“Our faculty, staff, and students are stepping up and making the most of this difficult time,” said Cook. “The high-quality, personalized experience available at Snow College is unique, and we are committed to providing this opportunity to all students. We appreciate the support of our state leaders, parents, and, most importantly, students as we progressively seek smart growth and navigate through this pandemic.”
According to Snow’s website, Snow.edu, there are eight active COVID cases on campus as of Oct. 12. Everyone on campus is working diligently together to keep the count as low as possible, Larsen said, so face-to-face learning can continue in the future.
