College on Pace to Beat Three-Year Growth Projection in a Single year

Unity College sets a new enrollment record this fall as the institution welcomes more than 1,900 new students since August. This brings the college’s full-time equivalent student population to more than 4,600 students representing all 50 states.

“This time last year we were hoping to hit 5,000 full-time students within three years. We are elated to be on-pace to beat that number during the ‘22-23 school year,” said Unity College President and CEO Dr. Melik Peter Khoury. “Compare that to ten years ago, when we were at 540 students, and you can really see that we don’t just talk about flexibility and affordability – we have changed our entire model to provide better access for our students.”

In 2012, baccalaureate degree tuition at Unity College was $23,000; by 2018, that number had risen to $28,000 per year. Since moving to the College’s unique student-centered Enterprise Model, Unity tuition has fallen to an average of $13,000 per year. 

This approach has allowed Unity College to attract a more diverse socioeconomic and multicultural student population. Now, the College boasts a 22% self-disclosed diverse student population, that’s up from a 50-year average of 8%. The average student age has also grown from 19 to 28, as more place-bound adults have discovered Unity’s unique experiential online programming.

“As America’s Environmental College it is our responsibility to ensure we graduate thousands of culturally competent, well-educated individuals who can make an immediate impact in the environmental career space. It is our duty to make sure those students are not debt-ridden to the point that it prevents them from reaching their true potential,” said Dr. Khoury.

The College’s recent growth is supported by many of Unity’s environmentally focused in-demand majors such as, Animal Health and Behavior, Conservation Law, Marine Biology and Sustainable Aquaculture, and Wildlife Conservation.

“We do not simply take our courses and put them online. Unity College Distance Education courses are designed to be experiential, which means our students are getting hands-on experience right in their own area of the country. Your community is your classroom,” said Distance Education Executive Director of Enrollment Management Denise Young.

This growth positions Unity College to continue exploring ground-breaking modes of learning for years to come. Our high residency Hybrid Learning program continues to bring students to Unity, Maine for in-person learning, and staff at the new Technical Institute for Environmental Professions are hard at work bringing in its first cohort.