Trinity Posts Record Enrollment With More than 2,300 Students

President Patricia McGuire announced that Trinity’s fall 2010 enrollment is 2,358, an all-time high in the history of Trinity. This record enrollment reflects a 16% increase in enrollment over fall 2009, and a 79% increase over fall 2000.

Nearly 1,000 students enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), the largest enrollment ever in Trinity’s historic women’s college. The record enrollment is a 136% increase in the undergraduate women’s college enrollment since fall 2000. According to President McGuire, “This is an unparalleled achievement among women’s colleges and rare among private colleges generally.” The chart shows how Trinity’s enrollment has grown since 1968, the previous high point of enrollment for the women’s college. This fall, more than 340 new students enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences, including 292 freshwomen in the Green Class of 2014. These young women come from 18 different states and have at least 14 different nations in their immediate family backgrounds; 67% are African American and 17% are Latina; a majority are first-generation college students. About 25% want to study nursing, with psychology, business, criminal justice, biology, communication, international affairs and political science among the top majors list.

Several factors are contributing to the significant enrollment increase in Trinity’s women’s college and overall enrollment. Trinity’s new curriculum, which includes learning communities and a distinctive first year experience, is a draw for students and is improving Trinity’s retention rates. A strong interest in Trinity’s nursing program, which began in 2007, has boosted enrollment. In addition, the Trinity Center for Women and Girls in Sports, which opened in 2003 and attracts more than 30,000 visitors annually, has dramatically increased Trinity’s visibility in the region.

A more strategic focus on student recruitment is also yielding increases in enrollment for the College of Arts and Sciences. According to Kelly Gosnell, vice president of admissions, “We are in the high schools, talking to guidance counselors and meeting with students, and staying in close touch with those students through the application process and right through the time they arrive on campus for the start of school.” Trinity also works closely with local organizations committed to helping students graduate from high school and enroll in college, including the D.C. College Access Program and D.C. College Success Foundation. In addition, Gosnell sees a strong interest among students in the women’s college experience: “We are enrolling young women who are dedicated and focused, many of whom are first-generation college students, who are making a very affirmative decision to choose a women’s college and to choose Trinity.”

Enrollment in the School of Professional Studies (SPS) is also at an all-time high with more than 970 students. The coeducational school offers undergraduate and graduate programs, and has experienced strong interest in nursing, criminal justice and several master’s degree programs. The School of Education (EDU) enrollment remains strong, with nearly 400 students. The coeducational school offers master’s degree programs in education, administration and counseling. Both schools have increased enrollments with a dual focus on enhanced recruitment of new students and improved retention of current students. The two schools welcomed more than 340 new students to campus this fall. In the current economic climate, many students are returning to college to complete bachelor’s degrees and earn master’s degrees to be more competitive in the job market.

This fall, Trinity formally established the School of Nursing and Health Professions, building on the nursing program that began in 2007. Currently, enrollments in this school are included in the College of Arts and Sciences and School of Professional Studies.