Despite the local and national trends of declining enrollment in higher education, Villa Maria College announced today that it has exceeded its Fall 2019 enrollment goal by 9%. The small, private College welcomed an incoming class consisting of 229 students; a 12% increase over last year’s incoming class, and the largest in three years.
Brian Emerson, Villa Maria’s vice president for enrollment and operations, attributes this year’s growth to several things: the successful launch of the College’s game design and computer software development programs, the introduction of scholarship eSports and the institution’s innovative and effective new leader, President Matthew Giordano, Ph.D. In addition, the College continues to attract new students with its Honors program, Achieve Program for Students with Learning Differences, and longstanding partnership with Say Yes Buffalo.
“We have a very positive outlook for future enrollment,” said Emerson. “We’re generating more interest than ever before by introducing new programs in response to both student and employment demands in the Western New York area and beyond, and we are continuously looking for new ways to keep the cost of attending Villa Maria College affordable by introducing scholarship opportunities, like the eSports and honors scholarships.”
Villa Maria College continues to be a tight-knit, inclusive community that is growing despite all the challenges small, private colleges are facing today. College leadership continues to invest in students and infrastructure, drawing more people in than ever before.
