HENDERSON, Nev. – Nevada State College (Nevada State) will celebrate its largest graduating class of 895 graduates at the spring 2023 commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 6.
Founded in 2002, Nevada State has become the fastest growing institution in the state, boasting a student body of 7,162 students in its undergraduate and master’s programs. Following spring commencement, Nevada State will surpass 7,700 alumni. For the first time in 20 years, Nevada State has more alumni than students currently enrolled.
The nearly 900 graduates will earn degrees in Nevada State’s over 65 majors and minors including nursing, psychology, business, education, speech-language pathology, and criminal justice.
“We are proud of Nevada State’s continued growth and expansion over the past two decades and our 900 students graduating this spring,” says Nevada State College President Dr. DeRionne Pollard. “The diversity of our student population continues to grow, and we are proud to serve and provide quality and affordable higher education to our diverse student body with a majority of students of color, first-generation, immigrant, non-traditional and transfer students.”
77% of Nevada State’s student population comes from a culturally diverse background and 56% of the population are first-generation students. Since 2020, Nevada State has seen a significant increase in the Hispanic graduation rate climbing from 20% to 34% in 2022. The institution also has a highly rated dual-credit program, allowing students in high school to start earning college credit, which promotes pathways to college early on. This program has been widely successful and proven significant in helping students earn credits at an affordable rate and graduate faster. As of this year, 10% of Nevada State’s total headcount is comprised of former dual credit students, and 62% of the institution’s dual-credit enrollees are Hispanic.
“Completing my Bachelor’s Degree in Biology at Nevada State College has provided me with opportunities in scientific research that helped me reach my goal to enter a Ph.D. program in Cellular and Molecular Biology,” said Nevada State College 2023 Graduate Loretta De La Caridad Viera Preval. “I am graduating with this degree in three years thanks to the dual credit courses I took at my high school in partnership with Nevada State, as well as summer/winter courses offered at this institution. Navigating college was a challenge having English as a second language, so I am grateful for the support offered by Nevada State College professors who also helped me in my journey of acceptance to graduate school.”
Nevada State’s growing nursing program is proud to celebrate over 358 graduates this spring, with 2,500 graduates having been conferred some form of nursing credential in just the last decade.
Nevada State has also seen a 70% increase in graduates in the School of Education over the past five years with 151 graduates this year. To help address Nevada’s teacher shortage, Nevada State is supporting aspiring teachers in the education program this year with fully covered tuition through a $3 million grant from CCSD.
Nevada State’s 2-year Speech Language Pathology master’s program, introduced in the fall of 2019, is also one of Nevada State’s most significant graduate programs and the first graduate level program to be offered at the institution. This spring, 40 students will graduate.
To continue its commitment to supporting pathways to careers after graduation, Nevada State was recently selected as one of 15 new NBCU Academy Academic Partners, providing students from underrepresented communities a pipeline into newsrooms across media and technology. In total, 80% of Nevada State graduates stay local and find jobs in the greater Las Vegas area.
The Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Board of Regents recently passed a vote to rename Nevada State College to Nevada State University. The adoption of “University” will more accurately represent Nevada’s expansive institution where high-caliber education translates into high-quality career choices, and paves a critical pathway for graduates entering a qualified workforce for some of the most in-demand and critical professions in the state. This renaming reinforces and validates the high degree of education students of all backgrounds receive at Nevada State and supports the full value of their work. After garnering support from NSHE, the Nevada State Legislature will vote on the renaming during Nevada’s current legislative session and would take effect July 1, 2023 if passed.
To learn more about Nevada State’s graduation and enrollment data, visit https://nsc.edu/about/facts-and-figures/.
About Nevada State College
Nevada State College (Nevada State), a four-year public institution, is a member of the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). Nevada State places a special emphasis on the advancement of a diverse and largely under-served student population. Located on a developing 500-acre campus in the foothills of Henderson, Nevada, the college was established in 2002 as a new tier in the state system between the research universities and the two-year colleges. In this role, the college emphasizes high-quality instruction, exemplary service, engaging learning experiences, and innovation as a means to more efficient, effective outcomes in all corners of the campus. Since 2002, Nevada State has grown to offer more than 65 majors and minors, has received independent accreditation and has expanded its physical campus. Committed to fostering a personal learning environment, students are taught by faculty who serve as mentors and guides in classrooms with an average class size under 20 students. Nevada State serves approximately 7,100 students and has over 7,700 alumni, each representing a broad array of cultural and economic backgrounds. For more information, visit https://nsc.edu.
