Amidst pandemic, enrollment and retention remain strong

Despite a global pandemic, the number of traditional undergraduate students attending Goshen College rose slightly in 2020.

Overall fall enrollment totals 899 students, with a seven-year high of 778 traditional undergraduate students, 49 students in adult programs and 72 students in graduate programs, according to the registrar, Jan Kauffman.

Goshen College welcomed 200 new full and part-time first-year students — a 24 percent increase over last year — with an additional 61 transfer students, totalling 261 new students who arrived on campus or joined remotely in August. Twenty-nine students, mostly international, are attending this fall in a remote learning option offered by the college in response to COVID-19.

“We are excited and grateful for the privilege to welcome each and every student who made the decision to join the Goshen College community this year, despite this pandemic and all the challenges it is causing,” said President Rebecca Stoltzfus. “We are all working and learning daily to make sure this year is safe, purposeful and a positive experience for all.”

The diversity of the student body also continues to increase. Forty-five percent of traditional undergraduate students are students of color or international, up from 42 percent last year. With 32 percent of this year’s first-year class identifying as Hispanic or Latino, the overall traditional undergraduate student body is now 27 percent Hispanic or Latino, up from 25 percent last year and 8 percent a decade ago. Finally, 38 percent of traditional undergraduate students are first-generation students.

Retention — a key measure of student satisfaction — remains steady at 76 percent of last year’s new students returning.

2020-21 enrollment by the numbers:

First year class: 200
Transfer students: 61
Total traditional undergraduate: 778
Adult program students: 49
Graduate students: 72
33 states and 26 countries are represented
Total enrollment: 899

Top ten declared majors:
• Nursing
• Business
• Molecular Biology/Biochemistry
• Psychology
• Biology
• Environmental & Marine Science
• Sign Language Interpreting
• Secondary Education
• Music
• Accounting

Profile of Goshen College’s Class of 2024 (traditional undergraduate students):

Female: 62% | Male: 38%
From Indiana: 66%
From Elkhart County: 42%
First generation: 47%
Race and ethnicity breakdown:

American Indian or Alaska Native: 1%
Asian: 3%
Black or African American: 4%
Hispanic or Latino/a:  32%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0%
International: 5%
Two or more races:  3%
White: 46%
Unknown: 6%