Enrollment increases and new facilities will make Fall 2025 a historic semester for Enterprise State Community College as it marks its 60^th academic year serving the community.

In 1965, the first classes were held on September 30. There were 256 students registered for classes held in various buildings in the downtown area. This fall semester, the College saw a fall enrollment of 2866 students, marking a roughly 10% increase in enrollment from last year.

“You could feel the energy of having everyone back on campus during the first week of classes,” Dean of Students Dr. Kevin Ammons said. “It was great to see all the new faces joining us this fall, and to see our returning students with smiles on their faces was a great experience.

“This is going to be a great academic year, and I can’t wait to see all the great things our students, faculty and staff accomplish,” he said.

This year’s students are taking advantage of transferable academic classes that prepare them for advanced degrees at four-year universities as well as career and technical programs that have expanded to allow more students, from dual enrollment and traditional high school graduates to nontraditional students, to train for high-demand careers. This includes course offerings at off-campus sites, like Welding and Automotive classes at GTECH, and restructured class times for some programs to offer faster completion while maintaining training needs, like new mini-term Airframe and Powerplant classes on the Ozark campus.

Additionally, new and returning students on the Enterprise campus will be learning and training this academic year in two new facilities, the first to be built on campus in about 30 years.

This fall, fine arts students are taking the first courses offered in the academic wing of the new Jimmy H. Baker Hall Center for the Arts, which will also feature a 600-seat theater and rental spaces for the community. The theater is expected be open to the public at the end of September.

A new Workforce Technology Center is also expected to be finalized this fall for students to start Spring 2026 classes. The center will offer modular training spaces for non-credit, fast-track training as well as designated spaces for the College’s welding, automotive technology, and mechatronics programs.

“Sixty years ago, our community had a vision for an institution that would make an impact here in Enterprise and the Wiregrass,” ESCC President Danny Long said. “Now, today, we’re building new facilities and offering more programs and transfer pathways to help make a difference in the lives of our students and our community.

“Students are coming here because they see real opportunities, and this is just the start. We’re building for the next 60 years right now, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

Classes are still available for students to start this fall during the College’s second mini term, which begins October 8. Spring 2026 registration will open on October 31.

Individuals who are interested in starting their education or training next semester at the College’s Enterprise, Ozark or Andalusia campuses are encouraged to apply now at escc.edu/apply.

For more information on all ESCC program offerings visit escc.edu/programs.