The numbers are in, and the impact is historic.

Coastal Alabama Community College's current fall 2024 enrollment is the largest in the history of the college.
The college is leading the state in enrollment growth, increasing 11%, or nearly 1,000 students, since last fall. With more than 7,600 students taking credit classes and another 2,500 students taking adult education and skills training courses, the Coastal Alabama pack is more than 10,000 students strong.

"This growth proves that those who may have been on the fence about coming to college can be confident in the product we are delivering," Aaron Milner, president of Coastal Alabama, said in a news release. "Our mission is to invest in the success of all students, and that's what we are focusing on."

In August, the chancellor of the Alabama Community College System, Jimmy Baker, visited more than 400 employees at the college's Institute Day. There, he set the vision to improve facilities and workforce development opportunities for students in southwest Alabama and beyond.

The largest community college in the state by land mass, covering 20% of Alabama's footprint, Coastal Alabama has remained focused on bettering the lives of its students through the evaluation and enhancement of programs, facilities and people, the news release states.

"Anything that is 'substandard' drags us down as a college," Milner said. "We are changing a mindset to ensure that anything we produce is quality, and that goes for anything from academics to buildings on campus."

As for the current enrollment increase, there are several benchmarks to note, including the increase in the number of high school students who are taking advantage of dual enrollment opportunities to earn college credit while in high school. Other gains are evident in the Aviation Powerplant and Airframe programs, which have rebounded to pre-pandemic numbers. Additionally, the nursing program is adding another cohort of students to the Fairhope Campus to continue driving the healthcare workforce in our area.

"Our people make the difference here," Milner said. "I can honestly say the way they care for our students and the way they want them to succeed is unmatched. This commitment is what has led to this tremendous impact in southwest Alabama."