LCMS university system records record growth for 20th consecutive year

ST. LOUIS, December 6, 2012—Twenty years. That’s how long The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s Concordia University System of 10 colleges and universities nationwide has been around. That’s also how many years Concordia University System (CUS) enrollment has grown.

This fall’s total CUS enrollment in both graduate and undergraduate programs increased 4.1 percent – from 28,421 in fall 2011 to 29,597 this year, an increase of 1,176 students.

Both the number of graduate and undergraduate students increased – from 12,909 to 13,790 for graduate (an increase of 881 students, or 6.8 percent), and from 15,512 to 15,807 for undergraduate (up 295 students, or 1.9 percent).

“God has again blessed our institutions with strong enrollments,” CUS Interim President Rev. Dr. Alan W. Borcherding said. “Since the Concordia University System was formed 20 years ago, our enrollment has grown more than four-and-a-half times – from 6,321 students to 29,597.”

Along with the increase in enrollment, Borcherding said he also considers it “a blessing that the number of students who identify themselves as Lutheran has remained constant in recent years.”

The Rev. Dr. William Meyer, who served as CUS president from 1992 to 2005 and continues to serve part time with CUS in his retirement, noted that schools with programs in health professions continue to draw new students. Such programs offered by eight of the 10 CUS schools include nursing, physical therapy, physician assistant, community health science and pharmacy.

Those vocations fit right in with a Lutheran education, Meyer said, because they exemplify “what Lutheranism is really all about – caring about people.”

This fall’s enrollments – including both graduate and undergraduate students – at individual CUS schools are as follows:

Concordia University, Ann Arbor, Mich. – 668 (a decrease of 43 students, or 6 percent, over fall 2011).

Concordia University Texas, Austin, Texas – 2,584 (down 74, or 2.78 percent).

Concordia College—New York, Bronxville, N.Y. – 867 (up 42, or 5 percent).

Concordia University, Irvine, Calif. – 3,519 (up 268, or 8.2 percent).

Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon, Wis. – 7,751 (up 133, or 1.7 percent).

Concordia University, Portland, Ore. – 3,111 (up 602, or 23.99 percent).

Concordia University Chicago, River Forest, Ill. – 5,454 (up 320, or 6.2 percent).

Concordia College Alabama, Selma, Ala. – 611 (down 108, or 15 percent).

Concordia University—St. Paul, St. Paul, Minn. – 2,941 (up 141, or 5 percent).

Concordia University, Nebraska, Seward, Neb. – 2,091 (down 105, or 4.8 percent).

For more information about LCMS colleges and universities – and professional church-work careers – visit www.lcms.org/cus.

About The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
The 2.3 million-member Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is a mission-oriented, Bible-based, confessional Christian denomination headquartered in St. Louis. Through acts of witness and mercy, the church carries out its mission worldwide to make known the love of Jesus Christ. Learn more at www.lcms.org.

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CONTACT
Vicki Biggs
Director, Integrated Communications
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
314-996-1236 | 314-556-3829 (mobile)