High school students lead enrollment growth
TRAVERSE CITY — Record high school enrollment at NMC this fall means more area students are getting a head start on degrees and careers and saving money in the process.
Combined, 544 high school students are dual enrolled or in Early College at NMC this fall, a 13 percent jump from fall 2024. High school students now make up nearly 16% of the 3,460 students on campus. Tuition for both programs is paid by local school districts.
“For the student and the family, it gives them an opportunity to get a head start and save money,” said NMC Admissions director Lisa vonReichbauer.
Beyond the head start, research shows that students who dual-enroll in a college class or Early College students, who earn an associate degree in just one year after high school, are more likely to get to the finish line – graduation.
“It increases college going skills, college success and college completion,” vonReichbauer said.
Hitting that record took an all-out college effort on financial, communication and programming fronts. While local school districts pay tuition, until last year, the tuition rate for students outside Grand Traverse County left a difference that families had to pay out of pocket. In January 2024, NMC trustees approved a new rate for out of district dual enrolled students that eliminates that out of pocket expense.
Equipped with that new rate, vonReichbauer said NMC has improved outreach to both high schools and families, including home school families.
“We’ve communicated better about the opportunities, so we’re seeing more people taking advantage of that.”
In addition NMC is working to tailor programming to the needs of individual schools and students, such as:
- In-person classes on the high school campus – like EDU 100, offered at schools including TCAPS, Northwest Ed and Greenspire High School this fall
- New academic tracks for Early College, like law enforcement and business tracks offered through the Wexford-Missaukee ISD
- Expanded elective opportunities for Suttons Bay High School students
“We are a very small school, which means we are not always able to offer Honors or AP sections of classes. Many of our students enroll in NMC classes, and the experience is invaluable,” Suttons Bay counselor Meredith Schmidt said. “NMC is an excellent partner institution, and provides really high quality coursework.”
The record high school enrollment is part of a strong overall fall enrollment at NMC. Headcount stands at 3,460, up 6.2% from fall 2024, and the seventh straight semester of growth. Students are also taking more classes, with contact hours up 8.2%.
Find out more at nmc.edu/dual-enroll and nmc.edu/early-college.
Release date: October 1, 2025
For more information:
Cari Noga
NMC Communications Director
cnoga@nmc.edu
(231) 392-1800 (Call or text)