(WHTM) — Several colleges in the Midstate are reporting bigger student populations in the Fall 2024 semester.

Lebanon Valley College in Annville and Wilson College in Chambersburg each broke their own records.

LVC and Wilson have built enrollment back up since the COVID-19 pandemic, but they have more students than ever before.

York College of Pennsylvania says its first-year student enrollment is the largest since 2018 with an incoming class of 822 and a transfer class of 200 new students.

The total headcount is projected to be 3,849 compared to 3,720 in 2023. Vice President for Enrollment Management Brian Hazlet says applications reached 8,353 for fall 2024, which is a 9% increase year over year.

Wilson College President Wes Fugate also says applications are up. 342 are enrolled in Wilson College Online for Fall 2024. That’s more than double enrollment since Fall 2023.

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

WHTM Daily Digest

“We’re meeting the needs of more students, so for example, we launched Wilson College Online two years ago, really targeting the adult population folks that maybe didn’t have a degree or hadn’t completed a degree,” Fugate says.

Sophomore Vet Nursing major Zoe Rosen is one of 1,705 students enrolled at Wilson, contributing to a 10% increase from Fall 2023.

“I can change my mind if I wanted to and I would still be okay and supported by the staff and faculty,” Rosen says.

“I’m anticipating that unfortunately, due to the federal government’s debacle with the free application for federal Student Aid, that we’re going to see fewer first generation and low income students than we have in the past,” Fugate says.

On the other hand LVC Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Susan Tammaro says numbers are up for first generation college students, the overall undergraduate population and graduate students. 23% of new students at LVC are first generation college students, up from 19% last fall.

LVC offers its Dutchmen’s First program to students who are the first in their family to go to college. It comes with a $500 annual scholarship and access to social events and educational workshops. There are also programs for transfer students.

“We have a special orientation for transfer students and we let all of the faculty know when they have a transfer student in their class,” Tammaro says.

Sophomore Physical Therapy Major Justin White toured bigger schools and ended up choosing LVC for its community.

“I like the community, feel like our staff-student ratio is about 12 to 1,” White says.

Junior Carter Palmer is a Music Education Vocal Performance major with a Musical Theatre minor.

“I think a lot of people are choosing to take this route as an opportunity for growth, whether that be academically growth and also social growth with other people as well,” Palmer says.

LVC’s previous enrollment record was set in 2018 at 1,651 students. The new record is 1,658 students.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.