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World's students flock to U of M

Foreign presence brings record enrolment

By: Nick Martin

Posted: 09/7/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

The University of Manitoba has shattered its previous enrolment record -- 28,975 students are on campus this year.

That's by far the largest enrolment in the university's history -- there were 28,013 in 2005, and 27,992 a year ago.

And for the first time, the university has exceeded its goal of having at least 10 per cent of its students from other countries, thanks to a huge jump in international students.

"They take us to a different level than we'd had before," a delighted president David Barnard said Thursday.

The record enrolment is in line with what the U of M had projected based on applications, Barnard said. The university expected a jump of at least two per cent, thanks in part to Manitoba's largest Grade 12 graduating class in a decade. The overall increase was 2.9 per cent.

And credit hours have gone up 2.7 per cent -- the students' course load on which they pay tuition fees.

Universities across Canada are seeing growth beyond the Grade 12 graduating classes as more people realize the benefits of post-secondary education, Barnard said. "Enrolments in general terms are outperforming the demographics," he said.

Full-time enrolment increased to 23,994 students from 23,257, while part-time enrolment edged up to 4,801 students from 4,735. Undergraduate enrolment increased by 2.9 per cent, to 24,948 students this year from 24,236 in 2011.

The largest increase was in the faculty of agricultural and food sciences, with a hike of 16.1 per cent. Dentistry was also up significantly, though Barnard noted most professional schools still cap enrolment.

Graduate enrolment increased by 2.8 per cent, to 3,302 students from 3,211 in 2011-12.

Barnard recently returned from a Canadian trade mission to Brazil and pointed out universities are working together to attract international students. China and Nigeria were the major student contributors to the U of M this fall.

International enrolment increased 21.4 per cent, to 3,203 students this year, from 2,638 in 2011. Undergraduates increased by 23.9 per cent and graduates by 17 per cent.

The U of M had for many years aspired to hit 10 per cent international enrolment, and this year soared to 11.1 per cent from 9.4 per cent.

Meanwhile, the University of Winnipeg expects to see similar numbers to what it had last year. It won't have firm numbers until the middle of September.

"We are noticing a small increase to date in direct high school enrolment, but not a substantial bulge," said a U of W official.

Figures from other Manitoba post-secondary institutions were not yet available.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 7, 2012 A12

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