MISSOULA — The University of Montana has released its summer student numbers and there's some good news to report.
Summer semester enrollment saw over 3,000 students taking courses, about a 3% increase from the previous summer. The numbers also mark UM's highest summer enrollment since 2014.
While the final figures won’t be tallied up until the last week of August, 3,025 students have paid for their summer courses, which compares to 2,945 a year ago. UM officials also state in a news release that they expect the final tally to rise as more students complete their payments.
The latest numbers also show that more UM students graduated this summer -- with 489 receiving degrees. A year ago, the UM awarded 422 degrees.
“Summer session helps students cross the finish line so they don’t have to complete in the fall,” UM Provost Jon Harbor said. “This reduces their debt and moves them on to their careers sooner. We are working hard to identify courses students need to graduate in the summer to better serve our students.”
The summer enrollment bump at Missoula College saw 5% more students taking classes as compared to last summer. UM reports that at this time, 274 students have paid for their summer courses as compared to 259 a year ago.
Dr. Grace Gardner, director of UM Summer, says the university is planning to provide more summer institute programs for high school students as well as an early start option for first-year students.
“We are thrilled that more of our students are taking advantage of the opportunity to take classes during our beautiful Missoula summers,” Gardner said.
“Summer courses can help students shorten their time to graduation, complete general education requirements, learn in accelerated course formats and receive more individualized attention in smaller classes," she added.
