Jacksonville, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – More local colleges and universities are reporting very high enrollment after the tenth day of classes.

At Illinois College in Jacksonville, according to a news release, the Class of 2029 is said to be “one of the largest incoming classes in the College’s nearly 200-year history.  They say 339 new students have enrolled for their first year, and when they graduate in 2029, it will be during Illinois College’s Bicentennial year. The programs many of them are studying include, nursing, criminal justice, mechanical engineering, and business-related fields.

Meanwhile, at Millikin in University in Decatur, officials say their incoming Class of 2029 will mark the largest number of first-year students since 2020.  545 first-year students enrolled, an increase of 17 percent over the previous year.

“This is especially significant given the competitive private, higher education market and the fact that Illinois is the second largest exporter in the U.S. of college-bound students attending school,” said Dean Pribbenow, university president, in a news release. “Our persistence, creativity, and commitment to student success have brought us here, and now we must keep striving to build on this foundation and ensure Millikin’s future remains just as bright.”

Millikin says thanks to transfer and other agreements with several area community colleges, 132 transfer students have made their way to Decatur this year, the largest number since 2015.

Pribbenow became the university’s president July 1, the 17th in the school’s history.  Millikin is also nearing the completion of a $12.3 million athletic center project.  A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for October 3, during their Homecoming weekend.

This news comes a day after the University of Illinois system recorded record-breaking enrollment.