MSU President's Newspaper Column
September 27, 2025
Committed to providing educational opportunities that lead to meeting the workforce needs of North Dakota
We could not be more excited about the outstanding things that are happening at Mayville State University! Census day for North Dakota University System enrollment for the Fall Semester of 2025 was Tuesday, Sept. 22. I am incredibly happy to announce that Mayville State experienced significant enrollment growth, including a headcount AND full-time equivalent (FTE) figure greater than any recorded in the history of the university!
A record number of North Dakota residents are included in the final official headcount of 1,215, which is a 7.14% increase over the fall of 2024, and a 15.9% increase over the fall of 2023. The FTE (full time equivalent) figure for the Fall Semester of 2025 is 857. This is a 7.93% increase over the fall of 2024, and a 16.8% increase over the fall of 2023. The number of freshmen enrolled this fall increased by 43.7% over the Fall Semester of 2024.
Mayville State’s affordable costs and our brand of personal service contribute to the appeal of Mayville State University to students. In addition, we’re in close proximity to everything. Mayville is a safe small town that is enhanced by support from a great community. All of these attributes, combined with the opportunity to be involved with clubs and organizations and athletic teams makes us the perfect place to live and learn! Students enrolled at Mayville State can expect to receive an excellent education, opportunities to get involved as leaders, and great jobs when they graduate.
Enrollment is integral to maintaining a favorable budget, which is an extremely important point, but let’s take that one step further and look at the needs of North Dakota. The state’s Workforce and Development Council, with assistance from Job Service North Dakota, has identified several in-demand occupations. The list was primarily created using long-term employment projections from the North Dakota Labor Market Information Center and supplemented by data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The list is reviewed annually and is primarily comprised of occupations that typically require some postsecondary education up to and including a bachelor’s degree.
The in-demand occupations include elementary and secondary school teachers, middle school teachers, kindergarten teachers, special education teachers at the kindergarten, elementary, and secondary school levels, preschool teachers, accountants, financial managers, nurses, general and operations managers, training and development specialists, sales representatives, childcare workers, educational, guidance, agribusiness professionals, people in health-related occupations, and career counselors and advisors, and more.
These are all areas where Mayville State can provide degree opportunities, and we are committed to serving the needs of the state by providing graduates who can assist with these in-demand occupations. We are maintaining our commitment to quality education and personal service while providing flexibility and convenience to meet the needs of students who are pursuing these degree and program opportunities. We also seek to help individuals who have some college, but no degree, get back on track to earning a degree.
Maintaining a healthy residential campus with students who attend classes in-person is extremely important, as is meeting students where they are. We offer many options for students who are place-bound and/or who wish to maintain full- or part-time employment while pursuing their educational goals. For instance, Mayville State’s agribusiness program is available to students on campus and online. That’s a win for a farmer or rancher who needs to maintain the family farm while enhancing their educational background.
We love to have prospective students visit Mayville State in person or virtually. It’s great when a person can experience first-hand what makes “The School of Personal Service” special. We look forward to having several visitors during our annual fall Visit Days on October 16 and 17. Those who are interested may register at www.mayvillestate.edu/visitdays. If you know someone who could benefit from the educational opportunities at Mayville State University, please encourage the individual to visit us any time.
Mayville State continues to be a shining star in the higher education galaxy. To maintain this standard, it takes a great team effort of faculty, staff, community members, and supporters working together to share the good news, develop in-demand course and program offerings, help prospective students to know of the opportunities available, and deliver on the promise of an outstanding education at an affordable cost. We’re committed and determined to maintain and grow this goal, and grateful for all, including our faculty and staff, who work hard to make it all come together.