<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3hsSiV_1GucXCjb00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3hsSiV_1GucXCjb00" width="749" height="421" ><figcaption>Iowa Western Community College Dodge Hall Photo Courtesy of Iowa Western Facebook Page</figcaption></figure>(Council Bluffs) -- Iowa Western Community College continues to buck the national trend in postsecondary education enrollment.That's according to Iowa Western President Dr. Daniel Kinney, who tells KMA News that the community college ended up with a 5.8% increase in enrollment for the fall semester. That is .8% higher than initial projections at the beginning of the school year and continues a trend the college has seen over the past handful of years."In these days with the enrollment cliff, not as many students going to college, the birth rates being down and all that, we're probably one of the fastest growing community colleges in Iowa right now," said Kinney. "This year, right now we're at about a 5.8% (increase) and last year, when we wrapped up, we had a 6% increase. The year before that it was about 1%, and the year prior to that, it was another 6% increase. So, we're seeing some pretty healthy increases out there."Kinney points to much of the work that Iowa Western has done at the high school level at their various campuses and centers across the region. He says they're not only tacking on enrollment numbers among high schoolers, but those students are subsequently pursuing degrees further with Iowa Western."We're doing more with them in high school and they're saying 'instead of leaving and going on, I want to go finish that degree with Iowa Western," said Kinney. "So, we've seen a huge jump in what I call a 'matriculation rate' where those high school students who started with us in high school are coming at least one if not two years to Iowa Western. Then, they're transferring on to their four-year degree if that's what their plans are or a lot of them are then coming back home to the rural communities we serve and starting to fill those high-wage, high-demand jobs that are out there."Kinney says their residential hall capacities in Council Bluffs are up to roughly 90%, figures they haven't seen since the early 2010s. He also attributes the steady growth to the college's outreach to various communities and the staff they've been able to build."We're getting out and working with our communities, hearing their needs, and making those modifications," said Kinney. "But, we've got a great faculty and staff here to serve those students and making sure they get across the finish line. If they came in an wanted to finish a degree or just get some hours, making sure that we're getting them across their finish line of what they came here to accomplish at Iowa Western."Kinney made his comments on a recent edition of KMA's "Morning Line" program.</div></body>

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(Council Bluffs) -- Iowa Western Community College continues to buck the national trend in postsecondary education enrollment. That's according to Iowa Western President Dr. Daniel Kinney, who tells KMA News that the community college ended up with a 5.8% increase in enrollment for the fall semester. That is .8% higher than initial projections at the beginning of the school year and continues a trend the college has seen over the past handful of years.

Iowa Western reports fall semester enrollment increase

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(Council Bluffs) -- Iowa Western Community College continues to buck the national trend in postsecondary education enrollment. That's according to Iowa Wes

Iowa Western reports fall semester enrollment increase

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