Another semester of record enrollment at Williston State

WILLISTON, N.D. (KUMV) - It’s another record enrollment semester for Williston State College this fall.

President Bernell Hirning said 1,175 students are enrolled at the college. It’s an 11% increase compared to last fall.

Dual credit high school students are helping to fuel the increase.

“So when they come to Williston State College, they’re closer to completing an A.A. degree and thus closer to a paycheck,” said Hirning.

The record enrollment is also putting the college in a housing crunch.

Hirning said they’ve added more beds to the dorms and have started to put students into nearby apartments owned by the Williston State College Foundation.

“They’re in great condition because they’ve been well-kept. That’s our number one priority, and our number one option is to continue to work on those,” said Hirning.

Hirning said enrollment is expected to continue to grow with the addition of new medical courses being taught at the new healthcare training facility next year.

Williston State is also looking at adding more four-year courses by partnering with other universities.