vcsuValley City  (CSi- VCSU)  Valley City State University has set an enrollment record with a headcount of 1,452 students for Fall 2016, surpassing the previous high mark of 1,422 set in Fall 2015.

VCSU’s Fall 2016 graduate enrollment headcount of 157 ties the record set in Fall 2011.

VCSU President Tisa Mason says “We’re proud to see our numbers increase. More and more students are choosing to pursue a VCSU education because they recognize the quality of our academic offerings and the value we provide for their investment. I commend our faculty and staff for the work they do to make us a top choice for students and their families.”

Part of VCSU’s growth is due to increases in its first-to-second-year retention rate each of the last four years. In addition, a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) degree program has been added to the VCSU graduate offerings to complement a Master’s in Education degree program.

The university has also begun offering three-year bachelor’s degree programs in business administration, elementary education, English education, mathematics education and professional communication. To help keep college affordable, VCSU faculty are increasingly using free OER (Open Educational Resources) in place of textbooks in many of their courses.

VCSU was recently named the No. 1 Public Regional College in the Midwest by U.S. News and World Report for the second consecutive year and the fourth time in the last six years. The university has been recognized as a U.S. News “Best College” for 19 consecutive years.