While the past two years have proven difficult for many institutions in higher education, others reached even greater heights than previously imagined. In the Sunflower State, Kansas Wesleyan stands as perhaps the best example of this achievement. KWU announced Friday that enrollment for the 2021-22 year currently stands at 829 students, including 317 new, full-time undergraduate students. That specific new student figure would be the highest in school history.
“This has truly been a team effort,” said Ken Oliver, vice president for Advancement and university operations. “Admissions counselors, marketing strategies and the work of countless faculty and staff have all joined to take KWU to new heights. It’s been a remarkable two years, and we are just getting started!”
It has been a remarkable two-year journey for KWU, as the school has seen an enrollment increase of nearly 14 percent, one of the top non-World War II-fueled jumps in the university’s 135-year history. The 113-student increase in the past two years is believed to be the fifth-largest rise, and the 829 total students would mark the eighth-largest student body in KWU history.
The school accomplished these efforts during a time in which it spent nearly $10 million on capital improvements, including a Nursing Education Center ($5 million), residence hall improvements ($500,000) and significant updates to academic spaces ($350,000). The university’s endowment sits at nearly $40 million, its highest point ever.
“It is truly a great time to be a Coyote,” said Oliver. “In addition in increased enrollment, unprecedented levels of financial investment, and competitive academic and athletic successes, students are also achieving. For the last five years, 98% of our graduates are – within six months – employed or in graduate school. It is clear that students and their families are attracted to what is happening here – the unique KWU experience.”
An official count of this year’s KWU class will be finalized on the semester’s 20th day, per state custom.
