UW-Green Bay’s record fall 2016 enrollment figures show response to regional needs

Enrollment is highest recorded and most diverse to date

Green Bay, Wis. — For the first time in its history, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay has surpassed the 7,000 mark for fall enrollment. UW-Green Bay has 7,030 students, up 251 students from a year ago. The University has seen significant gains in minority students, graduate students and “undergraduate specials,” including high school students taking college courses. UW-Green Bay’s full-time equivalent headcount is also up by 101 students. (See related fact sheet for specifics).

“The increase reflects our focus on new program development in response to both students and employers in the region and reflects our commitment and emphasis on strengthening our region’s access to a quality education,” says UW-Green Bay’s Assistant Vice Chancellor for Enrollment, Christina Trombley. “As has been shown many times before, the success of the university is the success of the region and state, as the overwhelming majority of our grads work and live in Wisconsin.”

Fall 2016 enrollment figures reflected nearly 21% growth in the UW-Green Bay graduate programs from 2015, due largely to continued program expansion, strong growth in online master’s programs and continued success of the University’s much sought after social work program.

“The fall numbers reflect the first year that our online Data Science program is fully implemented. It also shows approximately 40% growth in our online Sustainable Management program, 16% growth in our online Nursing Leadership and Management in Health Systems program, and the addition of a new online program in Health and Wellness Management,” said Matt Dornbush, associate vice chancellor and director of UW-Green Bay graduate studies.

“Growth in the Social Work program remained strong at a 9% increase,” said Dornbush. “We expect to see continued growth in the coming years as we increase recruitment efforts for our longstanding programs, several of our new program mature, and we expand our program offerings, including the coming launch of our fist Doctorate program, an Ed.D. in First Nations Education.”

Much of the “undergraduate specials” gain was from students who are still in high school but are ready to do college level work in at least some subjects — College Credit in High School (CCIHS) students. Courses offered are identical to introductory level courses at UW-Green Bay, covering a wide range of topics, and are delivered in the high schools by high school teachers. This fall, new courses were offered at 11 high schools.

“Experiencing the rigor of a college level course in the familiar environment of a student’s high school can help students develop skills for college success,” says Meagan Strehlow, Director of Education Outreach for the University. “Through our partnerships with high schools in Wisconsin, we are able to significantly reduce tuition for these courses, allowing students to save money and accelerate their time to degree completion. I believe the growth in enrollment can be attributed to students and families learning more about these opportunities and taking advantage of new course offerings in their high schools.”

Strehlow and her staff work with all high school partners to speak to their students about enrollment in the classes and what it means to have a course on their college transcript.

“By talking directly to students we are able to make them feel more connected to UW-Green Bay and make sure they are making a good decision about enrolling in a college level class,” Strehlow says. “I believe these visits and the customer service we provide schools are what sets UW-Green Bay CCIHS apart from other concurrent enrollment programs. We help students succeed by making sure they have the information they need and give them resources to be successful as they move into their college careers.”

Additional Phoenix facts:

• Final enrollment includes a freshman class of 872, more than 10% larger than last year
• The largest majors are (in order): Business Administration, Integrative Leadership Studies, Human Biology, Psychology, Nursing, Human Development, Accounting, Computer Science, Biology and English
• Collectively, the three majors in the Engineering Technology program have grown the fastest in the past year, from 32 to 115 majors this year
• Mid-sized programs that have grown rapidly over the past year include Environmental Sciences, Music, Art, Spanish and Math
• 24% of all students graduated from Brown County schools (Preble, Bay Port and Ashwaubenon high schools are the top enrolled
• 681 students transferred to UW-Green Bay; NWTC is the top transfer source
• 56% of undergraduates are first-generation students
•  4% are veterans and 16% percent are children or spouses of veterans

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