Orlando – Valencia College set a new enrollment record for fall 2024, as the college continues to experience historic growth.
This semester, 49,676 students took classes at Valencia College, breaking the previous record set in fall of 2019, when 48,874 students enrolled at Valencia College.
Overall, the number of degree-seeking students enrolled this fall increased 5.5% from fall 2023.
Coming on the heels of a record-breaking spring 2024 semester, the new data reinforce the college’s continuing commitment to providing access to quality, affordable higher education, and workforce training to the residents of Orange and Osceola counties.
“We are proud of our enrollment, not just because it is our highest ever, but because it demonstrates that we are fulfilling our mission as an affordable and open-access college responding to growing demand for education and training in Central Florida,” said Dr. Kathleen Plinske, president of Valencia College.
Notably, the college also welcomed more first-generation college students than ever before. Of the 49,676 students taking credit classes in the fall semester, 25,176 reported that their parents did not attend college or did not graduate from college.
The latest enrollment data reflects an increase in new students as well as returning students. This fall, Valencia College welcomed 8,635 first-time-in-college students, up 4.4% from last fall.
In addition, the number of students returning to continue their studies jumped 7.2% over last fall — a measure of success and persistence.