MUSCLE SHOALS & PHIL CAMPBELL, ALA. — This fall Northwest Shoals Community College (NWSCC) has topped 4,000 credit students for the first time since 2010. Currently, NWSCC has enrolled 4,071 credit students for the fall 2022 semester, which is an increase of 700 students, or over 20 percent, from final fall 2021 figures (3,371).
According to NWSCC President Dr. Jeff Goodwin, the College looks to build on this momentum and focus on providing the best virtual and on-campus environment for its students to be successful. “It is an exciting time to be a part of Northwest Shoals Community College,” said Goodwin. “The college is nearing completion of our new athletic fields, working on facility upgrades to both campuses, and we have an amazing team of people that are working hard every day to make sure our students are successful in their academics and in the workforce when they finish here.”
NWSCC saw significant increases in on-campus technical programs, Child Development (up 26%), Cosmetology (up 24%), Electrical (up 30%), and Industrial Systems (up 35%), as well as a 12 percent increase in students taking virtual learning courses.
However, the largest increase in student enrollment came from students taking dual enrollment courses at area high schools or on one of the college’s campuses. From fall 2021 to fall 2022, NWSCC saw over a 50 percent increase in dual students.
Muscle Shoals Career Academy (MSCA) at Muscle Shoals High School is one of the largest dual enrollment sites for NWSCC. According to MSCA Principal Jeff Madden, the partnership between MSCA and NWSCC has seen substantial growth this fall throughout their program offerings.
“We appreciate the long partnership we’ve had with Northwest-Shoals to offer our students dual enrollment opportunities across the years,” stated Madden. “We’ve seen tremendous growth this year with the expansion of dual enrollment in almost every one of our programs. There’s never been a better time to enroll in a Muscle Shoals Career Academy course, learn valuable life and career skills, and earn college credit at the same time.”
According to Dr. Crystal Reed, NWSCC Dean of Students, the high school partnerships are essential to having a thriving dual enrollment program. “High school students are more interested in taking college-level courses than ever before at Northwest-Shoals,” said Reed.
“Our K-12 school systems are doing an amazing job guiding their students into career pathways that are well suited for their students. Our high school partnerships create an environment that promotes academic and career success,” added Reed. “We want our area high school students to easily transition to Northwest-Shoals, a university or into the workforce immediately after they graduate high school.”
The 4,071-student headcount is an unofficial student census following the registration of all dual enrollment high school students and does not include students who may be auditing a class or enrolled in non-credit workforce training courses. Fall semester enrollment numbers are not official until verified by the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) at the end of the semester.
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About Northwest Shoals Community College:
Northwest Shoals Community College (NWSCC) is part of the Alabama Community College System and home to over 4,000 students. NWSCC offers over 100 certificate and degree programs and is committed to providing career technical, academic, and lifelong educational opportunities that promote economic growth and enrich the quality of life for the people it serves. For more information about the NWSCC, visit www.nwscc.edu.
