Normandale Community College is projecting approximately 7% growth in the number of students from Fall 2024 to Fall 2025. Normandale saw 15% year-to-year enrollment growth last academic year in both the fall and spring semesters.
A little over 7% increase has seen Normandale’s unduplicated headcount grow from 10,459 in Fall 2024 to 11,465 in Fall 2025 as of September 12. Normandale is currently the largest two-year college in the state, and has the second-largest undergraduate enrollment in the Minnesota State system.
One of the initiatives that helped Normandale experience continued enrollment growth this fall was a shift in approach to new students. During the summer, 98% of new general and transfer students attending a new student orientation that included:
These efforts are designed to support the whole student on the front end to increase their opportunities to persist and succeed during their time at Normandale. It also helps provide an early opportunity for students to lay out their path to success, and to understand what resources are available before they start the academic year.
Normandale has seen steady growth in persistence of returning students year-to-year in fall semesters. The Full-Term Equivalent (number or registered credits divided by 15) enrollment for returning students continued to rise with nearly 12% growth from Fall 2024 to Fall 2025 (as of September 12).
As a community college, Normandale continues to work hard to be a community resource that can answer key questions about important higher education topics including, but not limited to latest changes to the FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid), North Star Promise, general financial aid questions, student resources, and many other key topics that students need to know about as they prepare for college. This helps prepare students for success at Normandale, or any other college they may attend during their educational journey.
“Our enrollment growth shows that Minnesotans believe in Normandale,” said Charles Frame, Dean of Recruitment and Outreach. “Whether students are in high school, returning to college, or starting for the first time later in life, they all deserve the chance to thrive, and they know they’ll be supported here. We’re proud to be a public institution rooted in the belief that higher education should be accessible, empowering, and a source of real opportunity for every learner in our community.”
Last year, Normandale hosted Open House events, Financial Aid Completion sessions, and other outreach initiatives to help familiarize students and families with the many of the processes that go into preparing for college. These sessions are aimed at providing future Normandale students, friends and family of students, and community members with key information about how process of getting started as a college student.
Normandale will host an Open House event as part of Minnesota State Week on Thursday, October 30 from 4 to 6:30 p.m. You can find out more by going to normandale.edu/openhouse.
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