Aug. 11, 2025 10:30p
(WGTD)---There’s an exciting story that’s been slowly unfolding this year at Carthage College. It’s expected to come to fruition this fall in a freshmen enrollment that will shatter previous records--- at a time when many other institutions of higher learning are struggling.
Speaking on Monday's Morning Show on WGTD, Carthage President John Swallow said that the school—for the first time ever—has had to cap the freshmen and transfer student increase at 20%. "We used to say it was record-breaking when it was 1% or 2% over the last record but this breaks by a large degree any previous record," he said. "Between 900 and 1,000 first-year students is far and away more than we've ever had. It's shocking even."
The first signs of a possible bulge in enrollment came in the fall and early winter of last year with a 20% increase in campus visits. Then there came a day set aside for visits by prospective nursing students. The number of RSVP's--250--was more than twice the number from last year. Planners had to redesign the day's events. "That told me something was happening," Swallow said.
By spring, a 40% increase in applications had been recorded.
To cope with the high enrollment, Carthage stopped accepting transfer requests from students who already attend a four-year school. In addition, Carthage has had to lease two floors of a downtown Kenosha hotel to house an overflow of upper classmen.
Swallow attributes Carthage’s success to having a laser-focus on high-demand programs. That’s led to a louder buzz. "I think there's been a bit of momentum that builds over time," he said. "I think there's greater recognition that we've been adding programs, expanding programs delivering internships and (doing) other things that round out a student's experience and make it entirely possible that they will graduate and go on in their field of interest," he said.
Carthage recently announced the creation of a biotechnology major. The school's now 10-year-old nursing program has proven to be successful.
The school is also undertaking a number of expansions of its facilities.
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