VANCOUVER, Wash. –  Monday, September 19 marked the start of the 2016 fall quarter at Clark College. A highlight of opening day was seeing progress on the college’s initiative to encourage more students to attend full-time (12 credits or more). Forty-eight percent of non-Running Start, and 74% of Running Start students, attended Clark full-time. These statistics are important because studies show that students who are enrolled full-time are more likely to graduate and to do so in a shorter amount of time.

While official numbers are not available until after the 10th day of class, the day began with 12,099 students enrolled, statistically even with last year’s enrollment numbers.

While enrollment was flat overall, some specific segments saw increases. Running Start, which allows high school students to earn college credits tuition-free, saw its enrollment rise by 11 percent from its fall 2015 numbers to 2,445 students. Clark College’s Office of Planning & Effectiveness estimates that families of Clark Running Start students saved a combined $7.1 million in college tuition during the previous academic year. Elearning (or online) courses grew this year by 15 percent, with more than 4,400 students taking advantage of those courses.

Other highlights for the quarter:

• This is the first quarter that classes are offered in Clark’s new, state-of-the-art STEM Building, which will have its ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 3.
• This quarter sees a 67% increase from fall 2015 in students enrolled in apprentice programs. Additionally, Clark’s Transitional Studies is offering pre-apprenticeship program designed to help adults enter the trades. The one-quarter class costs $25, making it an accessible entry point for people seeking a new career.
• Students have begun enrolling for prerequisites to prepare for entry into Clark’s new Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Management program, which begins January 2017. This will be the second bachelor’s degree offered by Clark.

About Clark College

Located in Vancouver’s Central Park and serving up to 12,500 students per quarter, Clark College is Washington State’s second-largest single-campus, for-credit community college. The college currently offers classes at two satellite locations: one on the Washington State University Vancouver campus and one in the Columbia Tech Center in East Vancouver. Additionally, its Economic & Community Development program is housed in the Columbia Bank building in downtown Vancouver.