HPU Grows Enrollment Nearly 5% and Defies National Trends

The fall semester kicked off with record enrollment, new academic programs and new faculty.

 HIGH POINT, N.C., Sept. 18, 2024 – When High Point University students arrived on campus for the fall semester, they joined a record-size student body and met dozens of new faculty members leading new undergraduate majors and minors, as well as new graduate programs.

HPU increased its enrollment by nearly 5% this year with 6,335 students, up from 6,040 last fall, despite national college enrollment trending downward. The university also welcomed the largest group of new students in its 100-year history at 1,650. In addition, HPU welcomed the inaugural classes for the Kenneth F. Kahn School of Law and the Workman School of Dental Medicine, the state’s only private dental school.

“This is a transformational time for High Point University,” said HPU President Nido Qubein. “While faculty, staff and students are celebrating HPU’s centennial anniversary, we are focused on strategic developments to ensure the next 100  years are filled with success and significance.”

There is plenty that is new to HPU this fall. Here is a glimpse of some of those new things.

HPU Grows Its Faculty With 34 Newly Created Positions

In addition to the new law school and dental school, HPU opened the David S. Congdon School of Entrepreneurship this fall. It is North Carolina’s first private school of entrepreneurship and one of only two schools of entrepreneurship in the state.

To prepare for all the growth across campus, HPU hired more than 70 faculty members for the 2024-25 academic year. Thirty-four of them are in newly created faculty positions. Additional faculty members were needed particularly in the new dental school and new law school as each one welcomed an inaugural class that is at capacity.

The dental school added nine new faculty members in anticipation of its first class of 60 Doctor of Dental Medicine students arriving on campus this fall. The dental school now has 29 faculty members, and that number is expected to grow over the next few years.

The new law school, meanwhile, hired eight new faculty members to teach and mentor its first class of more than 70 students. The law school has 12 full-time faculty members and more than 70 extended faculty members, including distinguished jurists and practicing lawyers from across the country.

HPU Adds Five New Majors and Expands Engineering

HPU introduced five new undergraduate majors this year, bringing the total number of majors at the university to 69. The Webb School of Engineering added three new majors, while the Earl N. Phillips School of Business added two.

The new majors are as follows:

• General Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Mechatronic Engineering
• Business Analytics and Economics
• Healthcare Management

General engineering is intended for students who have an interest in engineering but do not know what type of engineering they would like to pursue. This major includes elements of computer science, electrical and computer engineering, and mechanical and mechatronic engineering. Graduates with a general engineering degree are ideal for working in a small organization as the only engineer on staff and doing some electrical or mechanical engineering work during a typical day.

Mechanical engineers are interested in all mechanical systems. Mechanical engineers build anything that has mechanical components, including planes, space stations and machines in assembly plants.

Mechatronic engineers are a hybrid between a mechanical engineer and an electrical engineer. They are typically interested in mechanical systems that may be controlled through a computer or which incorporates an electrical circuit in some manner. A mechatronic engineer might be interested in working with robots.

“Many systems nowadays incorporate elements of each of the various engineering disciplines,” said Dr. Michael Oudshoorn, dean of the Webb School of Engineering. “Adding these new programs alongside our existing programs enables us to explore interdisciplinary projects and create opportunities for students that more closely resemble the real-world experiences they will encounter after graduating — namely working as part of a team with expertise across various domains to solve a particular problem.”

HPU has added an undergraduate major in business analytics and economics to complement the business analytics MBA, which includes managerial economics. The business analytics profession continues to grow and evolve into many professional roles, and this new major is geared toward this growing field. Business analytics professionals must be able to communicate value with data between business decision-makers and data scientists and other quantitative analysts.

“The extra economics helps students understand the why behind the what and then what, so they can show their future employer how to maximize return on their project data,” said Dr. Daniel Hall, dean of the Earl N. Phillips School of Business. “Students build a portfolio of experiences and skills throughout their journey to signal they are ready. For example, we showcase students’ data visualizations and projects on our website and on our digital business touchscreen in Phillips Hall.”

The healthcare industry has also experienced astronomical growth because of an aging population in the U.S. and healthcare services becoming more complex. As a result, HPU now offers an undergraduate major in healthcare management and a healthcare management concentration in its MBA program. Healthcare organizations are seeking graduates who have a passion for helping people and good business acumen.

Two New Minors Available to Students

In addition to the five new majors, undergraduate students can pursue two new minors — one in secondary education and another in home furnishings business. The university now offers 74 minors across campus.

The secondary education minor is open to all students across campus who are interested in adolescent learning and seek experience in working with high school students. In addition, qualified students majoring in English, biology, math, history or Spanish may complete the secondary education minor, student teaching and licensure qualifications for the initial high school teaching license during their undergraduate career. This minor is perfect for students who have a desire to teach and mentor high school students and are ready to build their skillset in the field of education.

The home furnishings business minor is a partnership between the School of Business, the Hayworth School of Arts and Design and the home furnishings industry. While HPU students gain real-world experience working at the High Point Market in the fall and spring, this new minor provides a deeper dive into the home furnishings and interior design industries while connecting students with HPU alumni and other professionals working in these industries. Students in the minor are guaranteed an internship with a home furnishings business connected