For Immediate Release
[Marshall, Texas, August 23, 2021] — Entering the 2021-22 academic year, Wiley College has hit record enrollment amongst the first-time freshman class since 2016. The College welcomed 214 first-year students from 16 different states and an international student from France. As of August 20, 2021, there are currently a total of 649 students enrolled.
“The continued growth of the Wildcat family is a demonstration of the strategic work of those affiliated with the enrollment-management process, faculty, and students,” said President Herman J. Felton, Jr. “Wiley College is a premier liberal arts college with a focus on social good and leadership. This uptick, especially in the midst of a global pandemic, is an indicator of the value students see in our quality yet affordable, world-class education.”
Wiley College was the first HBCU to pivot to virtual instruction at the onset of the pandemic. Personnel used the time to reimagine a strategic approach to getting the College on the minds of high school seniors.
The growth in Wiley College’s freshman enrollment directly results from the College’s robust recruitment plan, which outlined objectives to enhance engagement, connection, and the marketing of the historic institution’s value proposition.
“Wiley College personnel quickly identified ways to convey the Wildcat experience in a virtual setting including, High School Day, recruitment sessions, campus tours, Questions and Answer Instagram Live sessions, National College Decision Day and several other initiatives,” notes Shaquille Dillon, Executive Director of Enrollment Management.
Dillon also offered that diversifying the communication strategy was a pivotal catalyst that led to the engagement of prospective students and their families. “Social media, personal phone calls, and text messaging platforms were among some of the daily tactics woven into our outreach.”
Cost of tuition at Wiley College was decreased during the Summer of 2019 and has since allowed the College to maintain its status as the most affordable Historically Black Institution in Texas.
About Wiley College
Wiley College, founded in 1873 in Marshall, Texas, is a historically Black, primarily liberal arts, residential, co-educational, baccalaureate degree-granting institution affiliated with The United Methodist Church. Committed to the principle of educational access, the College serves traditional and non-traditional students from diverse backgrounds who have expressed a desire and potential for learning in a Christian environment.