Spoon River College announced an enrollment increase for the third year in a row after receiving their 10th day enrollment numbers.
“We increased nearly 4% in credit hours compared to 2024, and more than 1% in headcount,” said President of Spoon River College Dr. Curt Oldfield. “We are happy that more students are making Spoon River College their choice for higher education in West Central Illinois.”
The college also reported a 7% increase in full-time students, with students aged 26-30 years old driving that growth. The biggest increase came from students opting for online classes, with an 18% increase. Overall, this marks the highest enrollment of the past four years.
“The nearly 7% increase in full-time student enrollment shows students are making a strong commitment to their education and future,” said Missy Wilkinson, dean of student services. “We’re especially encouraged to see growth not only in full-time enrollment but also in the number of sophomores continuing their education at SRC.”
Jo Branson, assistant dean of student services, said that among the high school students taking dual credit classes during the spring 2025 semester, 48% of them had returned this semester to continue taking dual credit classes, while 35% of them were now enrolled as regular college students.
Adult Education enrollment at Spoon River College is showing an 8% growth this fall with 118 students actively attending classes. Chad Murphy, director of Adult Education, said that because these students must complete 12 hours of class before being officially counted, enrollment figures take longer to finalize than credit programs. “With several classes starting late this year than last, we anticipate enrollment will end up about 12% higher for the first quarter.”
The college is adding new career and technical education programs at their newly renovated Macomb Campus, and expect to see significant increases once those are in place.
Spoon River College is a two-year, public community college in West Central Illinois, with campuses and Community Outreach Centers in Canton and Macomb, and Learning Centers in Havana and Rushville. It offers the first two years of college pre-professional courses as well as career and technical education programs. It serves students in a 1,566 square mile area that includes portions of Fulton, McDonough, Mason, Schuyler, and Knox counties.