UMary Enrollment Holding Steady, Vision 2030 Capital Campaign Absorbing Growth
BISMARCK, ND — The University of Mary estimates its incoming class of new students at nearly 600, with an estimated overall enrollment for this fall of about 3,850, breaking last year’s record enrollment of 3801. This record number represents students from across the nation and the world, with 41 states, five Canadian provinces, and seven countries making up the student body. Official enrollment numbers will be reported in October.
Jerome Richter, vice president for Mission Advancement at Mary, says there are several factors luring students to Mary.
“The University of Mary has consistently been recognized on a local and regional level as being an exceptional value in private education, and Mary’s a place where students of all faiths come and experience a liberal arts curriculum centered around Christian beliefs,” commented Richter. “But now word is out on a national level that Mary is one of the most affordable Catholic universities in the nation. Much of our growth has been from this national exposure.”
Vice President for Mission Advancement and Public Affairs
This year’s incoming Class of 2019 and transfer students come to the University of Mary from all over the world anxious to pursue nearly 60 degrees in fields such as arts and sciences; business; health sciences; education and behavioral sciences; Year-Round Campus — an innovative option that allows students to graduate in 2.6 years and even earn their master’s in 4 years — and most recently engineering. Students are also excited about the chance to study at University of Mary’s Rome campus, participate in 17 NCAA Division II sports, ACHA (American Collegiate Hockey Association) Hockey and numerous clubs and activities while receiving a faith-based education.
“This generation of students and their parents from outside the region are hearing about our strong academic reputation and at the same time recognizing there’s a beautiful campus here in a safe and growing community where there are many things to do and be involved in — on and off campus,” explained Richter. “Our programs are rigorous. Our scholarships and financial aid are plentiful and attractive to parents. And, our award-winning faculty and staff bend over backwards to see that our students succeed in the classroom and that our graduates get the jobs they are looking for in their career field.”
One of the most popular career fields is engineering — and helping draw students to University of Mary is its new School of Engineering. Forty-one new freshmen are planning to major in engineering this fall semester — bringing the total number of engineering students to 126. The university is currently repurposing its old Dining Hall on north campus into a new state-of-the-art engineering facility worth $15 million — as part of its Vision 2030 Capital Campaign. The new engineering school will graduate its first cohort of students in April 2020 and will open its new facility in August 2020, just in time for the fall semester.
The University of Mary’s Vision 2030 Capital Campaign continues to accommodate for the growth at the University of Mary. This three-phased $272 million campaign has seen over 225,000 square feet of new facilities in the past 36 months with $101 million raised for its Phase I completion — exceeding its goal by $5 million. Recent construction of a new 272-bed all-female Roers Residence Hall, a new Fieldhouse, and a new Lumen Vitae University Center (LVUC) have allowed students to enjoy a vibrant campus life.
Building lifelong friendships is what a university is called to do, and students at the University of Mary do so by coming together at activities and meal time in the beautiful new campus restaurant—The Crow’s Nest.
University of Mary students and the public enjoy 24/7 dining in The Crow’s Nest.
Due to popular demand for University of Mary’s 24/7 dining, this past spring the school expanded The Crow’s Nest to the lower level of LVUC, practically doubling its capacity to 560 in only its second year of existence. This expansion will not only allow for more UMary students, but also accommodate the general public as well, if they wish to enjoy Bismarck-Mandan’s largest buffet-style dining experience.
The University of Mary celebrates the arrival of all new incoming students with Welcome Week activities starting this Saturday, August 31. Classes then begin Wednesday, September 4.