State Technical College of Missouri is the state's fastest growing college, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.
State Tech has had five straight years of record-breaking enrollment and its headcount has grown 61 percent since 2016.
The Chronicle of Higher Education's distinction is based on 2020 enrollment data, when State Tech had a total of 817 undergraduate students.
Last year, State Tech had 120 additional first-time students from 2019, which was equal to a 17 percent increase in enrollment - the highest in the state.
State Tech's enrollment in 2020 was 98 percent Missouri students, Brandon McElwain, director of marketing at State Tech, said, meaning only 38 students were from out of state.
Throughout Missouri, undergraduate enrollment fell 4.5 percent from fall 2019 to fall 2020, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.
State Tech President Shawn Strong said the college's 99 percent job placement rate and value proposition have sheltered it from the statewide trend.
"Recruiting students had been incredibly challenging the last two years as a result of COVID-19," Strong said. "It speaks volumes about State Tech when we can continue to add students during the pandemic."
McElwain said the college worked to improve its website and online experience as the pandemic made campus visits no longer possible.
With a revamped website that is easier to navigate and the addition of extensive virtual tours, McElwain said the college was able to showcase its campus without the bus tours that it usually relied on.
"That's where you really get hooked on State Tech, when you see it in person," McElwain said.
He said the admissions office also engaged prospective students through Zoom meetings.
McElwain also credits the college's decision to return to in-person instruction sooner rather than later as a potential reason it is attracting more students.
"We went online for a couple weeks to end that spring semester, but then by graduation, we were back in person," he said. "That really got some buzz."
The college could be in store for future growth distinctions as well.
State Tech's growth has continued this year as it had 2,025 students by its census day, equaling a 5 percent increase in enrollment from last year.
Additionally, State Tech's open house event Oct. 16 brought approximately 600 prospective students to campus.
"We once again had more students than ever attend, so we're already seeing an increase in inquiry and applications this year to last year so we're hoping that trend will continue for a sixth straight year," McElwain said.
The enrollment growth presents new challenges for the college, like needing more instruction space and a review of the student-to-teacher ratios within some departments.
State Tech recently constructed its Utility Technology Center and is moving into a second phase of development for the facility.
Additionally, the college is developing the Osage County Country Club with amenities to keep students entertained while not in class.
McElwain said the college is scaling up its internal program to automatically add additional faculty once a program reaches an enrollment threshold.
"We've had quite a few of those (programs) that have done that," he said. "We have a couple that are doing it this year as well. Now that we have that model, we're continually using it."