For the second consecutive fall, enrollment at Bemidji State University has grown by more than 2 percent. Head count enrollment on the 30th day of classes shows 5,120 students attending Bemidji State this fall, the school’s highest enrollment since 2011 and its fourth highest in the last 17 years.

Overall, BSU enrollment has grown by 107 from its fall 2015 30th-day head count to 5,120 students, a 2.1-percent increase.

The 107-student increase stems from across-the-board increases in undergraduate students, graduate students and new incoming freshmen. The number of undergraduates on campus has grown by 1.2 percent to 4,795; graduate students are up 18.6 percent to 325; and BSU’s freshman class has grown 9.2 percent to 809.

The 809-member Class of 2020 is BSU’s fifth freshman class of 800 or more students since 1998.

Retention rate skyrockets

While BSU’s 809-member freshman class has played a significant role in the university’s enrollment growth, preliminary data shows increased success in retaining students as well. BSU’s retention rate for full-time, first-time students – the percentage of a freshman class that returns for its sophomore year – has skyrocketed to 71.7 percent, up from 2015’s 66-percent retention rate.

Significant gains in ethnic diversity

Bemidji State’s fall 2016 enrollment is more diverse than the 2015 group, with non-White students now making up 21 percent of the student body. American Indian student enrollment has grown by 19 students to 134, 3 percent of the student body. In addition, Black or African American (101, a gain of 11), Hispanic or Latino (121, a gain of 7) and multi-racial (164, a gain of 20) students all saw gains over 2015. BSU’s international student population has also seen significant growth, with a 22-student increase over 2015 bringing BSU’s international student population to 115. International students now make up more than 2 percent of BSU’s student body.

Record online enrollment, while on-campus undergrads shift toward classrooms

For the second consecutive year, BSU will see a record number of students enrolled in online classes. Nearly 1,800 undergraduate students and 282 graduate students bring the total number of BSU students taking online courses to 2,063, an increase of nearly 2 percent from last year’s previous record of 2,023.

However, enrollment has shifted back toward traditional classrooms among students classified as on-campus undergraduates. The percentage of BSU’s on-campus undergrads who are taking online courses has declined by nearly 5 percent. While on-campus undergraduate enrollment has grown by 51 students, 34 fewer (662, down from 696) are taking online courses this year than in the fall of 2015.

30th day enrollment

Bemidji State University produces official fall enrollment figures on the 30th day of classes to coincide with official Minnesota State system-level enrollment data. Reporting on the 30th day allows sufficient time for students to drop or add courses and to pay tuition, offering a suitably stable picture of the institution’s enrollment.

Head count reflects an unduplicated number of students enrolled in credit-generating courses on campus and through external study areas such as distance learning.

Bemidji State University, located in northern Minnesota’s lake district, occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. A member of the colleges and universities of Minnesota State, Bemidji State offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and 11 graduate degrees encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. Bemidji State has an enrollment of approximately 5,000 students and a faculty and staff of more than 550. University signature themes include environmental stewardship, civic engagement and global and multi-cultural understanding.

2017-B-L-020