Updated: Northeast State fall 2025 enrollment tops 6,200

BLOUNTVILLE — Northeast State Community College has exceeded 6,200 enrolled students for the first time since 2012, with increases in Blountville, Kingsport and Elizabethton.Enrollment has risen more than 20% since 2022 and more than 8% since 2024, Northeast State reported in a news release Thursday. And a news release Friday from the Tennessee Board of Regents reported a 4% statewide increase in community college enrollment statewide.In addition, to the more than 6,200 enrollment, Northeast serves about 2,000 students through its workforce development and adult education programs that aren't included in traditional enrollment numbers.STATEWIDE NUMBERSStudent enrollment is up 4% over fall 2024 at Tennessee's community colleges and 6 percent at the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology or TCATs, based on preliminary fall 2025 enrollment numbers presented to the Board of Regents during its quarterly meeting Thursday and Friday.The TBR news release said Enrollment at the state's 13 community colleges totaled 79,522 two weeks into the fall 2025 semester.This is the largest since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Increases came across three major categories: enrollment of adults 25 and older is up 6% percent over fall 2024, first-time freshmen up 5%, and dual enrollment by high school students is up 3%.Detailed enrollment numbers for the TCATs, which started their fall trimester later, will be presented when they are completed.The highest enrollment of the 13 listed was Pellissippi State at 9,797, while the lowest was Dyersburg State at 3,103. Northeast based in Blountville was listed at 6,222 and Walters State based in Morristown at 6,004.NORTHEAST NUMBERSThe Northeast State registrar's office reported an unofficial enrollment of 6,235 students on Sept. 15, representing an 8.3% increase from the 2024 fall semester, according to a release from the school. That number is 13 more than the 6,222 estimate from the TBR Friday.The Northeast number of full-time equivalent or FTE students taking more than 15 credit hours also jumped 9.8%, to 4,142 students. The increase in FTE enrollment indicates more students opted to pursue more credit hours toward their degrees or certificates."I believe that programs such as TRiO and our Success Coaches really make a difference since they work with closely with students," said Jennifer Starling, assistant vice president of Student Engagement and Success at Northeast State.Dual enrollment grew 9.6% from the previous fall, with 1,403 high school students opting to enroll in at least one class at Northeast State. Students returning to the college to continue their education increased 16%, and transfer students were up 37%.KINGSPORT, ELIZABETHTON NUMBERS UPThe college saw strong enrollment gains for Northeast State at Kingsport and Northeast State at Elizabethton campuses.Northeast State at Elizabethton posted a 4.3% increase in enrollment.The Northeast State at the Kingsport campus posted an 8.7% increase, with more than 1,400 students enrolled this fall.Final enrollment numbers are submitted to the Tennessee Board of Regents 14 days after the first day of classes."We continue to see a trend toward online enrollment, particularly among first-year students who value flexibility," said Brandon Dotson, assistant vice president for Enrollment Services at Northeast State. "By positioning the Online Campus as a fully integrated extension of Northeast State, we have expanded access and provided meaningful options for students balancing academics, work and family."WHY IS NORTHEAST ENROLLMENT UP?Dotson credited Northeast State recruiting for expanding their presence in high schools, prioritizing one-on-one conversations with students and families and using SLATE to deliver tailored communications.He added how traditional students responded to enhanced high school outreach and dual enrollment pipelines, while non-traditional adults continued to benefit from TNReconnect, evening and online flexibility and employer partnerships.In addition, he said advisors consistently emphasized the academic and financial benefits of taking 12 or more credit hours, linking momentum with degree completion and career readiness.Financial Aid reinforced this through packaging strategies that demonstrated affordability for full-time study, Dotson said.