University of Nebraska Medical Center’s student enrollment increased by 4.7% this school year, its biggest boost since 2010. Dr. Dele Davies, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean for graduate studies, said the enrollment this year is “truly remarkable.”
"We've had a pandemic and if you look at what's happened across the state, across the country, there are many universities that have a decline in enrollment as students try to sort of navigate what they're going to do with their future," Davies said.
Many factors, including a boost from a university program that provides tuition waivers to students and efforts by the college to address the need for more healthcare professionals in Nebraska contributed to the student enrollment increase.
Forty-two percent of the boost was because of online programs being offered by the college, especially for the master of public health degree. Chancellor Jeffrey Gold said public health programs almost doubled this year.
"Obviously, some of it is pandemic related, that is to say young women and young men are not only frustrated and frightened by the pandemic, but many of them have said, 'You know, this would be a great career to be able to learn more about it," Gold said.
Gold stressed that the mix of instruction options UNMC offers will not compromise their standards of excellence. He said the university is simply providing different learning opportunities for different types of students.