caldwell-magazine-spring-2015

CALDWELLACADEMICS
Caldwell University
Bucking National Enrollment Trends
Caldwell University is bucking national
trends when it comes to both enrolling
students and generating tuition revenue.
The results of a new survey in the
Chronicle of Higher Education recently
reported that of small private colleges and
midsize state institutions participating,
38 percent of those colleges did not meet
both their freshman enrollment targets
and their net tuition revenue for the fall of
2014. Not so for Caldwell University. In
fact, Caldwell joins a small percentage of
private colleges and universities, another 38
percent, that actually did meet both their
enrollment and revenue goals.
The annual survey, now in its second year,
was conducted by The Chronicle, the
Council of Independent Colleges and the
American Association of State Colleges
and Universities. It showed that more
than 40 percent of private colleges did
not meet their goals for net tuition or
freshman enrollment. Again Caldwell is
not in that category.
This past fall semester, Caldwell greeted
its largest freshman class ever with 371
entering freshmen. This class was a 12
percent increase from the previous record
number of freshmen, which entered
just a year earlier in fall 2013. In the
past two years, freshman enrollment has
increased 27 percent. Increased numbers
of freshmen, increased retention rates and
high student satisfaction have pushed
Caldwell’s undergraduate enrollments to
nearly 1,300 students, from just under
1,000 a few years earlier. This has also
led to a booming residence population,
with approximately 600 students now
living on campus, another historical high
for Caldwell. Rosary Hall and Mother
Joseph Residence Hall underwent beautiful
renovations this past summer to make
room for the increase in resident students.
Joseph Posillico, vice president of enrollment
management and communications, says
Caldwell has clearly shot past the markers
it set. “We have increased our ‘wins’
in inquiries, applications, enrollment
numbers and tuition revenue. We have
a stellar enrollment group, including
our admissions, financial aid and
communications teams, working hard to
ensure the university’s success.” He says
it is a total effort on the part of the entire
community, faculty, staff and current
400
375
350
325
300
275
250
NUMBER OF FRESHMEN
students. “Everyone works so well together
to show prospective students and families
the great spirit on our campus and the
wonderful Caldwell educational experience
they will receive.” n
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
CALDWELLMAGAZINE 17