HENDERSON – Nevada State College welcomes the 2020-2021 school year with a record-breaking first-year college student enrollment that has seen positive increases across several freshmen demographics including a 90 percent enrollment increase of African American students and more than an 80 percent increase in students enrolling with a high school GPA of 3.75 and above. Nevada State College is also introducing two new majors this school year designed for students to be career-ready.
Attributed to innovative and strategic recruitment initiatives, Nevada State College’s incoming freshman class has increased by five percent since last year. In addition, there has been a 90 percent increase among African American students – a growth that can be credited to the many activities and programs of the offices of Admissions & Recruitment and Community Engagement and Diversity Initiatives, which participates in GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs), My Brother’s Keeper, TULIPS (Teaching and Uniting Ladies to Inspire Positive Success) and more.
The incoming class of more than 500 incoming freshmen and transfer students has also seen increases among several characteristics including:
More than 90 percent increase in African American freshmen
More than 80 percent increase in high school students with a 3.75 GPA
More than 30 percent increase in students with a 3.5-3.7499 GPA
Overall average entering GPA of 3.19 – compared to a 3.05 GPA in 2019
“We are thrilled to see our campus community grow even more diverse with this incoming freshman class, particularly with the uncertainties created by the pandemic,” said Bart Patterson, president of Nevada State College. “The caliber of students entering into our academic programs will achieve success due to our small class sizes which allow our professors to really foster a unique and collaborative atmosphere that promotes student readiness and achievement. In addition, our faculty and staff are intently focused on quality of courses and student engagement – regardless of whether courses are online or in person.”
Nevada State College is also introducing two new majors this academic school year – Elementary Bilingual Education bachelor’s degree and Human Health Sciences bachelor’s degree. Both degrees, just like other Nevada State College degrees, are designed for students to be career ready when they graduate from their selected program.
Education Bilingual – This degree is designed to prepare future teachers to work in bilingual schools that are being developed by the Clark County School District. This program is the only bilingual emphasized education degree for teachers in Southern Nevada.
Human Health Sciences – This degree applies to fields related to the study of medicine, nutrition and other health-related fields. The Human Health Science degree is a unique undergraduate degree that enables students to understand human health as a complex biological, cultural, psychological and social dynamic. The flexibility of this degree prepares students for careers and graduate programs in the health and medical fields.
In addition to its new majors, Nevada State College has also seen an increase in other academic majors including:
60 percent increase in Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement majors
40 percent increase in Visual Media majors
36 percent increase in Education majors
35 percent increase in Biology majors
As the school year begins under new COVID-19 protocols, 75 percent of Nevada State College student credit hours are online, and 25 percent are hybrid (part online and part in person) to accommodate courses that require labs and more in person instruction.
To find out more about Nevada State College, visit www.nsc.edu.
ABOUT NEVADA STATE COLLEGE
Nevada State College, a four-year public institution, is a member of the Nevada System of Higher Education. Nevada State places a special emphasis on the advancement of a diverse and largely under-served student population. Located on a developing 512-acre campus in the foothills of Henderson, Nevada, the college was established in 2002 as a new tier in the state system between the research universities and the two-year colleges and, as such, is Nevada’s only state college. Nevada State College is the second fastest-growing college in the country and the fastest growing in Nevada. It currently has more than 5,500 students and more than 800 full- and part-time employees. For more information, visit http://nsc.edu [nsc.edu].
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