Breaking records is one thing, but maintaining a sustainable growth while others struggle is something else entirely. The unprecedented growth of Chowan University has made headlines for over a decade, and the numbers continue to hold steady. Enrollment for the fall semester exceeds 1,500 students for the third consecutive year. Never before has Chowan University been able to sustain enrollment of 1,500 plus students for more than one year.

New student enrollment topped 610 for the fourth consecutive year. Yet perhaps the most encouraging trend in recent years is an increase in retention. The number of returning students increased for the thirteenth consecutive time this year, making this returning class the largest in the institution’s history.

The fall 2017 enrollment at Chowan University tells the tale of an institution that continues to prosper, while many peer institutions struggle with numbers moving in the opposite direction. Chowan University President M. Christopher White says it does not come down to one single, simple explanation. “Yet, I suspect,” he says, “that it has something to do with our emphasis on Christian values.” White also credits the “great cloud of witnesses” who give to and pray for Chowan University, saying “Without that support, it would not be possible.”

Chowan University will celebrate 170 years of Faith in your Future in 2018. With steady enrollment and climbing retention, Chowan remains committed to providing Christian higher education to students of promise for many more decades to come.