UM Enrollment Boasts Its Largest Leap in the Last 15 Years

Missoula, MT ( KGVO-AM News ) - There was considerable excitement at Main Hall on the University of Montana campus on Tuesday as the total enrollment numbers released showed a record increase.

I spoke with UM's Director of Strategic Communications Dave Kuntz about the encouraging enrollment numbers.

UM Enrollment Experiences Its Biggest Jump in 15 Years

"It's our fall census, which is the date in which we report our enrollment up to the Board of Regents," began Kuntz. "We're excited to report that the university had its largest year-over-year enrollment jump in 15 years. So we're up 6 percent on our four-year campus, the main campus here at UM, and then when combined with Missoula College, our two-year campus, we're up about 5 percent and these are the biggest jumps that we've seen here since 2009."

Kuntz said the enrollment numbers reflect the hard work done over the last several years to attract new students to UM.

"We've been more aggressive in telling the university story and getting out with our recruitment materials and our marketing and getting into high schools and really making a strong case about the return on investment for a UM education," he said. "Then once students come to campus, part of the enrollment factor is keeping them enrolled. You know, we can't bring in these big, large freshman classes and then have nobody show up for their sophomore year and keep this growth trend going."

The University is Committed to Each Student's Success

Kuntz said planning for each student's success is at the heart of the education process at UM.

"Once students are here, we're making sure that they have access to the services they need to succeed," he said. "We've bolstered our academic advising. We have financial literacy courses. We've been able to reinvest in our student clubs and groups and create a vibrant atmosphere, so when those students do hit some bumps in the road, they have the support systems needed to keep to the finish line and because of that, we have more students coming to UM and then more students staying all the way to graduation."

Kuntz Gave A Great Deal of the Credit to President Seth Bodnar

Kuntz also gave kudos to the leadership of UM President Seth Bodnar for the enrollment success.

"We really think it correlates with President Bodnar's arrival in 2018 and some of those investments he made early on in his tenure that we're really starting to bear fruit from," he said. "We've done so by keeping tuition extremely low. Our tuition is about 30 percent lower than the average state here in the West with a lot of our competitors and peers, but we also maintain that high value. Last year, we were able to have a Rhodes Scholar and a Truman Scholar, and we still lead the nation in Udall scholars."

Find out more about the enrollment success at UM here.