Fall 2026 enrollment is up nearly four percent year-over-year
Dunwoody College of Technology, a leader in hands-on, applied education, once again saw a jump in its enrollment, with 1,645 students attending classes for the Fall 2026 semester. The nearly four percent year-over-year increase marks the fifth straight year of post-COVID enrollment growth, and a 50 percent increase in total enrollment since 2015.
“Dunwoody degrees lead to great high-pay, high-demand careers in the skilled trades and technical fields, and more students are starting to take advantage of these options; options they may not have considered before,” said Cindy Olson, VP of Enrollment Management. “We hear great stories from our graduates who are happily employed in their fields, but there is still more work to do to spread the word that these are a great pathway for students looking for a career-focused, hands-on education.”
Several academic programs at the College saw large enrollment increases this year, including a 65 percent enrollment increase in the surveying programs, a 57 percent increase in Electrical Construction Design & Management, a 32 percent increase for HVAC & Refrigeration Technology, and a 14 percent increase in Interior Architecture.
Construction Science & Building Technology continues to enroll the highest number of students, but both the School of Design and the School of Engineering saw enrollment growth this fall.
Contributing to the Fall enrollment growth is strong retention, with a high percentage of Dunwoody students retained and returning to campus to continue on and finish their degrees.
Dunwoody offers more than 40 degree programs, including certificate, associate, and bachelor degrees. Nearly 85 percent of all Dunwoody students attend full-time, and two-thirds of students are enrolled in either a one-year certificate or a two-year associate of applied science degree, once again showing a sustained interest in shorter degree pathways.
At the same time, students taking online-only programs grew by 8 percent, year-over-year.
Supporting All Students
More and more students are starting to consider a career in the skilled trades and technical fields, and Dunwoody continues to attract an increasingly diverse student body. The College saw increases in both the number of women and students of color enrolled this year. In fact, the number of students of color increased by 16 percent this year, and the number of women increased by nearly 13 percent. Twenty percent of Dunwoody’s student population are the first in their families to attend college.
As a small, private not-for-profit institution of higher education, Dunwoody is able to provide students with the supports and wrap-around-services they need to be successful.
This includes exposing students to career pathways and future employers from acceptance through graduation. Students benefit from industry site visits, employer events, and highly attended career fairs that bring more than 200 companies looking to hire Dunwoody graduates to campus twice a year. In addition, the College provides free, on-site and online tutoring services along with access to a wide variety of co-curricular activities.
The College’s signature scholarship program, Pathways to Careers, helps under-resourced students prepare for college success by pairing students with mentors, providing academic and financial supports, and providing one-on-one advising. The program has been highly successful in attracting and retaining students to the College. The number of P2C scholars increased by 6 percent, year-over-year.
“Dunwoody’s sustained growth gives us confidence that the stigma around the skilled trades and technical fields is shifting,” Olson said. “More students than ever before are finding their purpose in the skilled trades and technical fields, but their reasons for doing so have remained the same: they want a hands-on, applied education that leads to great career outcomes. And these are key strength areas for the way Dunwoody delivers higher education.”
About Dunwoody College of Technology
Founded in 1914, Dunwoody College of Technology is the only private, non-profit technical college in the Upper Midwest. Having provided hands-on, applied technical education to more than 250,000 individuals, Dunwoody is the college for experimenters and makers, a place where the curious and the confident learn by doing. Located in Minneapolis, Dunwoody offers a unique campus experience in dedicated labs, studios, and shops that treats students like future professionals from day one. With certificates, associates, and bachelor’s degrees in more than 40 majors – including engineering, robotics, design, and other STEM-related fields – Dunwoody challenges students to come determined and graduate destined.