Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: JESSICA THOMPSON
Fanshawe College has the highest enrollment of any college in the province of Ontario with 9,000 first-year students being accepted in the fall semester.

Fanshawe College currently has the highest increase in enrollment of any college in t Ontario.

Ontario college enrollment has been steadily increasing over the last five years and finally has reached a record high of 237,000 full-time students this year, according to a press release.

With first-year confirmations having increased by eight per cent over the last year, and full-time enrollment having grown by seven per cent, 9,000 first year students were accepted for the current fall semester at Fanshawe, the biggest class the school has ever received.

International students played a key role in Fanshawe’s impressive enrollment statistics, with international registrations having increased by more than 40 per cent in the last year. According to Tony Frost, executive director of Fanshawe’s Reputation and Brand Management, most of the college’s international students came from China, India and South Korea.

“Increased enrollment provides students with more diversity in the classroom… You get a better global perspective,” he said.

Full-time enrollment at Ontario colleges has increased by 2.4 per cent this year. Frost attributes this growth to a shift in public interest to practical and directly job-related education.

“Students are more aware of the need to pick a program that has a focus on a career than they ever were before… The economy has stabilized and is a more competitive market for job seekers,” Frost said.

“Many students are finding the programs that best fit their strengths and career ambitions are offered at colleges,” agreed Linda Franklin, president and CEO of Colleges Ontario in a press release.

This is consistent with the fact that, according to a press release, the number of university graduates enrolled in college programs has increased by 50 per cent in the past five years.

“There are certain programs where you can get a diploma and a degree, so I think that has really peaked everyone’s interest in college,” said Broadcasting and Television student Ethan Preston.

There is some debate over whether or not extraordinary enrollment rates are actually in the best interest of post-secondary institutions.

According to an article in the Interrobang by reporter Kerra Seay, the Higher Education Quality Control Council of Ontario (HEQCO) recommends that colleges and universities focus their efforts on providing quality education rather than on attracting potential students in order to better ensure the success of graduates.

Thankfully, Fanshawe appears to be maintaining a healthy balance. In the same article, Gary Lima, the VP of Academics at Fanshawe said that it’s a priority to “[make] sure that we have quality programs and that we do everything we can to ensure that students have a quality experience here.”

This is reflected in the school’s Key Performance Indicators (KPI) testing by Ontario Colleges where the college excelled.

“I wanted the right program that was going to benefit me the most and I think I found that through Fanshawe. I’m getting all of the important knowledge required in the field that I’m getting into,” said Preston.