Weatherford College enrollment passes 6,000 student mark for the first time

By Crystal Brown Weatherford College As of the fall semester count day, Weatherford College reached a record enrollment of 6,357 students. Not only is this a 12.9 percent increase over the fall of 2016, it is the first time in WC’s history to boast more than 6,000 students. This is the largest year-to-year enrollment increase for the college since 2009 when the number of students jumped 13 percent. To ensure the increased enrollment doesn’t decrease customer service and the overall college experience for students, WC Interim President Brent Baker established an enrollment increase task force, a group of front-line, non-administrator personnel from a cross-section of the college to analyze WC’s systems. “Passing the 6,000 student mark is very exciting for everyone at Weatherford College,” Baker said. “Every single person at our college impacts enrollment. From bringing in new students to retaining current students with a great college experience, it’s all very important. I’m proud of what all of our folks have been able to do to contribute to these impressive numbers.” Contact hours, the number of course hours taken by students, also increased by 11.4 percent compared with last year. The enrollment increase was felt college-wide with the largest jump belonging to dual credit students, which increased by 46 percent. A total of 1,850 students are earning WC credit while in high school, an increase of 580 over last fall. The second largest increase came from online classes, up 12.9 percent, with a total enrollment of 2,013. WC’s traditional, “brick and mortar” campuses came in with the following enrollment figures: Weatherford campus – 2,991 students, up 1.7 percent; Wise County campus – 576, up 4.9 percent; Education Center at Granbury – 323, up 8.7 percent; and the Education Center at Mineral Wells – 102, identical to fall 2016. The average age of WC students this semester is 22.2 years old, with a count day breakout of:

Age	Students	Percent
14-17	1,898	30%
18-21	2,494	39%
22-25	680	11%
26-29	430	7%
30-39	517	8%
40-49	241	4%
50-59	81	1%
60 and over	17	0.3%

Approximately 45 percent of WC’s students reside in Parker County. 61 percent are female and 39 percent are male.