Benedict College and Philander Smith College are among the first historically black colleges to check in this fall with announcements on historic enrollment increases.
BC this week announced an incoming class of 750 students, the school’s largest class since 2015.
“I applaud the efforts of the staff and faculty of who are committed to demonstrating the BESTof BC in all that we do. This new cohort is one example of their excellent work, said Dr. Roslyn C. Artis, President and CEO. “In the past year, we engaged our campus and the community in our efforts to formulate a competitive, yet, affordable tuition price, partnered with industry to align our academic programs to ensure consistency with industry expectations, and completed a strategic planning process that emphasizes customer service, technology innovation and increased academic standards, including in our student admissions. We are not only excited about the future of our new students at Benedict, but also for our returning students who play a key role in the great things happening at BC!”
Philander Smith College also announced that its total student enrollment has doubled over the last three years, surpassing more than 1,000 students.
“This growth is not by chance,” says Philander Smith College President Dr. Roderick L. Smothers, Sr. “It is the direct result of our concentrated efforts to provide educational opportunities to a broader range of students. Our admissions and enrollment management teams work diligently to expose students across the country to the unique opportunities that exist as part of the Philander experience.”
The announcements are a continuing sign of potential enrollment stabilization at HBCUs following years of steep declines. In 2016, sector enrollment losses decreased to just over 1,000 students for all 100+ historically black institutions, the third consecutive year student losses were just over 1,000 following several years of enrollment decline exceeding 10,000 students.
