University, college enjoy enrolment boosts.

• Position: AROUND THE NORTH

Enrolment is up at Sault Ste. Marie's two post-secondary educational institutions, with new programs leading the way in growth.

At Algoma University, enrolment is up by a projected 10 per cent this year.

The school reported its student population is currently the largest in its near 50-year history, which the school is attributing to students enrolling directly out of high school. Numbers of students coming directly out of high school are up almost 22 per cent over a year ago, which is the biggest percentage growth in the province.

"This continued growth means a great deal to Algoma University," Algoma president Dr. Richard Myers said in a news release. "But what's even better is that most of that growth is attributable to high school graduates from outside Sault Ste. Marie, which is great for the social and economic development of our city."

Fuelling the growth is increased registration in social work and honours biology, programs that were added to the roster in the last year. The number of international students has also increased, with 102 foreign students enrolled in degree studies, up from 83 last September. Another 40 students are enrolled in English as a second language programming.

At Sault College, meanwhile, enrolment is up five per cent amongst first-year students.

A total of 1,462 first-year students have enrolled this year, bringing the student population to more than 4,000, with the...