Education

The Associated Press

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Paul Smith’s College Sustains New Student Enrollment Gains Amid Regional Enrollment Rate Drop

PAUL SMITHS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 1, 2026-- As Paul Smith’s College prepares to receive 236 undergraduate students this fall, it today announced its new student enrollment has increased over 45% over three recruitment cycles, sustaining last year’s historic growth. The college welcomed this new class of Smitties with a Convocation address on Aug. 27 delivered by alumnus and founder of Fostering Minds, LLC, Dr. Antonius “Tony” Rivera, Ed.D., MBA, MS, AAS. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260901796020/en/ Colleges across New York and the Northeast face a shrinking pool of traditional college-age students. WICHE projects the Northeast to lose 17% of its high school graduates, with New York declining 27% from 2023 to 2041. Against these challenging regional headwinds, Paul Smith’s College has sustained its recent enrollment gains, reflecting growing interest in an education that connects strong academics with hands-on learning, meaningful work and practical experience. Classroom learning is only one part of the experience. Paul Smith’s College students build tiny homes, manage its sustainable forestlands and spend class time at the lake and in the woods. Incoming students have already committed to practical majors that will translate into in-demand fields, such as Natural Resources, Environmental Science