Southeast Texas P-16 Council

September 8, 2010 was an exciting day at Lamar State College-Orange, as the numbers for enrollment were tallied on the official census date for the fall semester. Though it will be several weeks before the official enrollment numbers can be finalized, it is clear that LSC-O has set a new record this semester. As of the morning of Aug. 8, 2,655 students were registered, an increase of 17.37 percent compared to last year’s record of 2,262.

The credit hour total is up 18.75 percent and the number of contact hours shows an increase of 20.04 percent. The contact hour production for this fall is up 27.85 percent compared to the monitored period from two years ago.

“Given the enrollment trend since Hurricane Ike, I expected an increased number of students this fall,” said Dr. Michael Shahan, president of LSC-O. “I was surprised, however, by the size of the increase.”

Shahan also says the increase could not have come at a better time because the enrollment numbers from this semester will be factored into the formula that the legislature uses to determine our state appropriation.

“The higher enrollment should help us increase our state funding,” said Shahan. “This is by far the largest enrollment we have ever had on campus.”

A new list on the Data page of this web site shows interesting statistics from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on where students go (and don’t go) to college.

The statistics give a picture of Southeast Texas’ students college choices — Lamar University is by far the most common higher education pick. West Brook High School, Nederland High School, Port Neches and Lumberton High Schools (in that order) send the most students to LU.

The list contains schools such as Texas A & M University, Praireville A & M University and Stephen F. Austin, but the local state colleges and LIT have larger numbers of recruits from the local schools. Colleges that have fewer than 5 recruits from a local high school are not listed separately.