While higher education enrollments have declined for years in many markets, that’s not been the case in Mankato.
A meeting with Minnesota State University President Edward Inch, South Central College President Annette Parker and Minnesota State Chancellor Scott Olson shed some light on why that might be the case. The education leaders met with The Free Press Editorial Board Monday as part of the visit to Mankato by the Minnesota State Board of Trustees, who will have meetings Tuesday and Wednesday at MSU.
Mankato’s success may be a mix of the university’s portfolio of programs that are both popular career choices and have real-world connections to the community, Inch said. Affordability has become a significant factor, with tuition frozen this year by the Legislature, but funding for the system overall increased significantly.
And then there may be just a cool vibe on the Mankato campus, said Olson, a former provost at MSU. “It wins at things. A lot of Maverick pride.” There are good programs in leading fields such as psychology, social work and teaching, but the campus has a feel and engaging identity.
“If you’re 18 years old, you want to have a little bit of fun,” he said.
Overall Minnesota State enrollment among all institutions is up 2.65% this year. MSU enrollment is up 1.1% and SCC enrollment is up 2.6%.
Parker points to growing popular programs in agribusiness and nursing. Nursing students can readily transfer to MSU for their bachelor’s degree, and the agribusiness majors have connected with employers, who are donating time and money to the programs.
MSU is strong because of its partners like Mayo Clinic on the nursing side and Green Seam agricultural collaborative that will grow agribusiness in southern Minnesota with brainpower from MSU and SCC.
There is also tremendous demand for things such as MSU’s aviation program, which is at capacity with about 800 students. Inch sees the success of other programs like engineering and nursing in that both campuses have been able to “leverage resources” for economic development in the region.
“This community is very supportive and provides input into the design” of course offerings, Inch said.
Olson also sees the local success as partially generational and the practical majors and programs that lead to employment may fit the mindset of Generation Z, which came of age during the Great Recession and may have seen their parents go through some economically difficult times.
And both campuses have implemented programs and increased resources to help students deal with mental health concerns. The “Achieving the Dream” program started by SCC in 2017 has provided everything from food and clothing help to tele-psychiatry. Since the pandemic, MSU too has added resources to providing mental health counseling to students. Telehealth services are provided to campuses across the state, Inch said.
And the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Center for Rural Behavioral Health at MSU that will train students in the field but also provide mental health services should be up and running this summer or next fall, Inch said.
But the biggest driver of increasing enrollment may be yet to come. The North Star Promise program approved by the Legislature this year will offer free tuition to students from families with annual incomes under $80,000.
“I think it’s going to have a huge impact,” Olson said, noting the North Dakota State University just across the border is also offering a similar deal to compete with Minnesota.
But not all boats are rising at Minnesota State. Bemidji State University continues see large declines in enrollment and cutbacks are planned. Bemidji always branded itself as an “up north” college by the lake, being right on Lake Bemidji. Olson suggested Gen Z may be looking for a more urban campus like MSU that has big-city amenities.
St. Cloud State has also fallen on hard times with enrollment declines for eight years until this year and cuts to programs with a $24.5 million deficit.
In any case, gains at MSU and SCC don’t seem random. They seem purposeful and caused by a larger community embracing the idea of higher learning, but also by students getting a well-paying career and establishing financial security.
Joe Spear is editor of The Free Press. Contact him at 344-6382 or jspear@mankatofreepress.com