“Bursting at the seams”: Okanagan campuses see increased enrollment

It’s a trend that doesn’t look like it’s going to slow down any time soon.

There has been growth across the board at Okanagan campuses.

At Kelowna’s Okanagan College campus, paint has barely dried on the school’s latest expansion and new buildings are already being considered to meet enrollment demand.

300 more students are taking classes at the college this year compared to last year; an increase of four percent.

Andrew Hay, the school’s vice president of education, said the Okanagan’s climate and the growing promise of employment opportunity makes the college an easy sell.

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“We’re bursting at the seams.”

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And the growth isn’t limited to Kelowna. Hay said the Vernon, Salmon Arm, and Penticton campuses are also seeing increasing course registration.

Over at UBC Okanagan, the situation is similar.

“We’ve seen tremendous growth over the last decade,” said director of university relations Bud Mortenson.

READ MORE: UBCO first year enrollment jumps 15 per cent

“We started with 3,500 students in 2005 and now we’re seeing an enrollment that is over 8,600 students this year. It’s a tremendous place to be.”

Mortenson said he expects the schools to only continue to grow for the foreseeable future.