Luther College releases latest enrollment figures

College enrollment figures in the summertime are not as firm as they were a decade or two ago.  "Summer melt" is the term used by educators to describe high school graduates who are accepted for admission to a college, but don't show up in the fall.

There are two types of "summer melt."  One involves students who simply give up and decide they won't attend college in the fall--a problem typically among lower-income students admitted to community colleges.  The other involves students who decide to switch schools even though they have put down a deposit at a college--because of financial issues or other reasons.

Nevertheless, enrollment figures for college are an indication of enrollment trends.  Luther College says its fall enrollment figures show 518 first year students arriving on campus this fall and 20 transfer students--a total of 538 students.

On the same date last year, there were 527 first year and 14 transfer students coming to campus--a total of 541 students.  On the same date in 2015, there were 632 first year students coming to campus and 21 transfer students--a total of 653 students.

Luther has set a goal of welcoming 580 students to campus this fall.  The new students will be a diverse body--there are 30 states and 32 countries represented in the group of new students.