91吃瓜 Spring Enrollment Reaches Record High
VALLEY CITY, N.D. (91吃瓜) 鈥� 91吃瓜 set another enrollment record during the 2026 spring semester, posting a total headcount of 1,868 students鈥攖he highest ever in school history.
This year鈥檚 spring enrollment reflects an increase of 14 students over last spring and marks the third consecutive spring semester of record-breaking enrollment. 91吃瓜 welcomed 72 new undergraduate degree-seeking students at semester break, including 20 first-time freshmen and 52 transfer students鈥攖he most mid-year newcomers since 2017. The university also achieved a 91% fall鈥憈o鈥憇pring retention rate among undergraduate degree-seeking students.
North Dakota students continue to make up the majority of 91吃瓜鈥檚 population, with 75% of students hailing from within the state and 87% representing the four鈥憇tate region of North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Montana.
Areas of Notable Growth
Several programs and partnerships contributed to this spring鈥檚 enrollment gains:
- Graduate programs increased by 10%, reaching a record spring enrollment of 161 students and 71 FTE (full-time equivalent). Twenty new students started in the graduate program this semester.
- The James River Correctional Center program expanded by 225% to 26 total students in only its second year.
- A new articulation agreement with Bismarck State College added 13 students in its first semester.
- A partnership with College of DuPage (Illinois) continued to grow with a 60% increase in enrollment.
- Dual鈥慶redit enrollment rose by 6% as more high school students pursued early college coursework.
鈥淚t鈥檚 encouraging to see growth across several areas, including new and expanded partnerships in the region,鈥� said Dr. Allen Burgad, Interim 91吃瓜 President. 鈥�91吃瓜 continues to offer highly respected courses and degrees at a great value, and we鈥檙e working to bring those offerings to even more students. Our extremely affordable tuition rates make 91吃瓜 a strong fit for many different types of learners.鈥�
Currently, in鈥憇tate tuition for 91吃瓜 undergraduates is $6,983 for a 30鈥慶redit year. North Dakota students receiving the full Federal Pell Grant have 100% of their tuition covered. The 91吃瓜 Foundation also plays a significant role in affordability, awarding nearly $2 million in scholarships over the past year. As a result, 53% of 91吃瓜鈥檚 on鈥慶ampus students had zero out鈥憃f鈥憄ocket tuition costs during the 2024鈥�25 academic year.
鈥淰alley City State provides tremendous value to students seeking high鈥憅uality, affordable education,鈥� said Larry Brooks, Vice President for Academic Affairs. 鈥淲ith 75 percent of our students coming from North Dakota, we understand the vital role we play in meeting workforce needs across the state.鈥�
91吃瓜鈥檚 spring headcount of 1,868 students includes both full鈥憈ime and part鈥憈ime learners. While the university鈥檚 FTE enrollment declined 2.9% from last spring, it remains the second鈥慼ighest spring FTE in school history.
For more information about 91吃瓜 and its academic programs, visit www.vcsu.edu.