By Geoff Smith (@GeoffSmithLNN on Twitter)

College sees big jump in enrollment; U of L reaches record

Sep 25, 2018 | 11:03 AM

LETHBRIDGE – A surge in international students has helped drive enrollment at Lethbridge College higher this year, while the University of Lethbridge ticked higher as well to record enrollment.

The college said 5,154 students are enrolled in certificate, diploma, degree, apprenticeship, and upgrading programs as of Sept. 19. That’s a six per cent increase from fall 2017 when there were 4,859. In addition, there are more than 1,100 corporate and continuing education students.

Those numbers include 471 international students, up from 231 last year.

The college’s manager of international services said there are many factors, including the anti-immigration sentiments of other countries.

“Canada has a reputation of being open and welcoming, and Lethbridge has a reputation as a small and safe community,” Catherine Wilde said in a news release. She also said a study found other factors help students decide where to study abroad, including academic reputation, employment opportunities, and cultural links.

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Last year the college had 14 students from India. This year there are 176. The number of Kenyan students increased from 36 to 95.

At the university, enrollment is up 0.5 per cent to 8,767 students at the Lethbridge and Calgary campuses. The number of graduate students climbed from 596 to 623, an increase of 4.5 per cent. The Indigenous student population grew 4.3 per cent to 513 students.

Associate vice-president (students) Kathleen Massey said the goal is balanced, managed growth.

“These figures support the philosophy that planned, gradual enrolment growth allows us to continue to provide an unparalleled personal academic experience.”

The number of transfer students at the U of L was up 4.1 per cent to 791. International student numbers declined slightly, from 506 to 489.