South Central College sees enrollment increase by 4.3%

NORTH MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) – Monday marked the first day of classes at South Central College in North Mankato.

The campus welcomed new students ready to begin the college experience, as well as some that are returning for their final year.

“It’s like a really happy place when you walk through the doors. Super excited to be here,” freshman Samantha Ruiz said.

“A lot more experience now and things kind of starting to click a little bit more, for sure,” said Tyler Dentdahl, who is entering his second year at South Central College.

After almost two years of navigating through online classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this fall semester looks different for many.

“The best part about the first day, we really hadn’t had a chance to experience it until this year since 2019,” South Central College President Annette Parker stated. “The halls are full of new people searching around for their classes and making sure that we welcome them here.”

Even though college enrollment is declining nationwide, the North Mankato campus is seeing its enrollment rise by 4.3%.

The national undergraduate student body is almost 1.4 million students smaller than before the pandemic, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

“It’s the programs, it’s the job potential,” Parker added. “I think they’re learning about those opportunities, and they know that they can come here and get skills and knowledge that they can take out and advance their careers.”

With programs such as agriculture, advanced manufacturing, and building and design, school officials say they are seeing an increase in enrollment thanks to the education combined with experience that the college offers.

“We have very good careers with very good longevity and high ceilings that are challenging and have great pay and benefits in a short amount of time, and also for a very reasonable amount of money compared to some of the traditional pathways,” explained Chris Blaisdell, mechatronics instructor at South Central College.

SCC is working toward building a new high-tech lab that will be supported by Bolton & Menk. The lab will provide a learning environment for students in various programs including civil engineering, technology, design, and more.

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