Enrollment at Nicholls State University decreased 14 percent since 2010 because of increased fees, graduate numbers and more students working full time.

Enrollment statistics released on Sept. 3 for the fall 2015 semester showed a total of 6,164 students enrolled. In 2010, there were a total of 7,096 students enrolled.

According to Eugene Dial, vice president of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services, more people are deciding to work full-time instead of study. Now that the oil industry has gone down, more students are expected to enroll in school. Nicholls also graduated 1,375 students last year.

“Enrollment has gone down for the fifth year, but it’s also about the fifth year in a row that we graduated more students. Last year we graduated more students than we ever had in a single year” Dial said.

Students majoring in Petroleum Engineering Technology and Safety Management and Culinary Arts had fee increases this semester because there has been a dramatic growth in these fields. PETSM, which grew 50 percent last year, has been the fastest growing program on campus and has higher fees for students that are used to hire new faculty for more classes. The 90 percent of those fees goes to their field and 10 percent goes to needs-based assistance.

With the new $12.6 million Lanny D. Ledet Culinary Arts building, the enrollment is expected to double within the next three years for culinary majors.

Dr. Murphy, Nicholls State University’s President, gave his State of the University address in which he said he wants to increase enrollment in programs such as PETSM and the Culinary Institute. The goal is that there will be an enrollment increase of more than 300 in the Culinary Institute, and more than 500 in PETSM. Murphy also said that he wants to not only increase enrollment for online and out-of-state students, but to increase the enrollment of international students to more than 170.

Another way Nicholls is trying to increase enrollment is with Fletcher Technical Community College, our partner school.

“Students that go to Fletcher aren’t going there because they have to but because it’s closer and a little cheaper and they can still transfer their credits in. That’s why we have our partnership with Fletcher and why it is important that we make it very seamless for students to transfer once they taken all their courses so that they can come to Nicholls,” said Dial.

Some programs at Nicholls are decreasing, specifically the College of Education. Dial explained how there is a decrease of students interested in education. “That’s one of the things we are trying to market. Our education graduates find jobs and our nursing majors find jobs. Nicholls is trying to make sure that the resources we have available to offer higher education programs is meeting the demands of the region now and in the future.”