Mitchell—This fall marks the tenth consecutive year of enrollment growth as Mitchell Technical Institute announced today that it has slightly surpassed last year’s record fall enrollment.
The total number of students enrolled for Fall 2016 is 1,274, up from 1,273 in Fall 2015 and 1,255 in Fall 2014. The school has increased enrollment by 16% in the last five years. Overall, the school has seen 69% growth since Fall 2007.
According to MTI president Mark Wilson, “MTI is positioning itself for growth in the next five years. We are adding three new programs next fall; we have restructured some faculty positions to maximize use of our talent; and we are in a fiscally sound position moving forward due to several factors, including the recent much appreciated infusion of faculty salary dollars from the half-penny sales tax increase.”
The popular Build Dakota scholarship program continues to generate heightened interest statewide in technical education. There are currently about 120 students attending MTI in both first- and second-year programs whose school expenses are completely covered by the full-ride scholarship program.
MTI is one of four technical institutes in the state, founded in 1968. More than 17,000 students have graduated from the school since it opened. Recent placement data indicates that 99% of the Class of 2015 found employment within six months of graduation and 81% of those opted to remain in South Dakota.