Blinn College enrollment through the first five weeks of the fall semester is already above all of last year’s fall semester.
The district wide total of just over 18,000 is the most since fall of 2019, the last semester before the start of the pandemic.
That is despite a drop of more than 500 on the Bryan campus, which vice chancellor Becky McBride told the board of trustees during Monday’s meeting was due to Texas A&M admitting more freshmen.
Fall enrollment at the Bryan campus, at almost 6,100, fell for the seventh time in the last eight fall semesters. In 2014, the Bryan campus had more than 13,000 students.
Meantime, record enrollment includes at Blinn’s RELLIS campus of more than 3,800. That is an increase of 770 from last year.
Increases this fall compared with 2022 were also reported in the number of students taking online classes, high school students enrolled in dual credit courses, and students taking classes on the Brenham campus.
McBride said fall numbers will increase as recruiting continues for more four and eight week classes and Blinn’s announcement that the first classes in Waller starts next month.
Click below to hear comments from Becky McBride during the September 18, 2023 Blinn trustees meeting.
News release from Blinn College about its new location in Waller:
The Blinn College District is opening a new location in Waller this fall that will bring its nationally recognized, highly transferable courses to college students in the greater Waller and Harris County region.
Blinn will begin offering classes Monday, Oct. 23, at Waller ISD’s W.C. Schultz Junior High School, formerly known as Waller High School, located at 20950 Field Store Road in Waller. This expansion will provide greater accessibility for college students in Waller, Harris County, and the surrounding region.
At this new site, Blinn will offer an array of highly transferable academic core courses, providing members of the community with an affordable pathway to their college degree. Blinn already partners with Waller ISD to provide high school dual-credit courses at the high school.
“We are excited to bring the educational excellence that has defined Blinn College to this vibrant region,” said Dr. Mary Hensley, Chancellor of the Blinn College District. “We look forward to bringing the same exceptional instruction, innovation, and commitment to student success that has made Blinn the state’s academic transfer rate leader and allowed us to guide thousands of students each year to the state’s leading university programs.”
The new Waller location demonstrates Blinn’s commitment to student growth and achievement and its responsiveness to the evolving educational landscape. Blinn will begin by offering academic core courses during the fall second 8-week term, including English, government, history, math, philosophy, and speech.
In addition to Blinn’s highly transferable classes, students attending Blinn’s Waller location will have access to Blinn’s online academic resources, including tutoring and library services.
For more information regarding course offerings, registration details, and other updates, please visit www.blinn.edu/waller.