Enrollment at Flathead Valley Community College has dropped 10 percent since spring 2013, according to college records.

FVCC had 1,605 students last spring and 1,441 this year, nearing pre-recession levels.

According to Brad Eldridge, FVCC’s director of institutional research, assessment and planning, this drop can be explained by an improving economy.

“When I look at the demographics of the drop, it is mostly students 22 or older,” he said. “Just-out-of-high-school-age students are holding very well. We’ve seen maybe a one percent drop with them. Those nontraditional students are taking advantage of job opportunities that weren’t there a few years ago.”

The peak year of FVCC enrollment was in 2011 when the full-time equivalent (a number averaged from spring, fall and summer semesters) students numbered 2,105. Enrollment has declined since then.

In the heart of the recession, FVCC student numbers swelled with nontraditional students who couldn’t find employment.

Even though the college has dropped nearly 700 students from its peak enrollment, Eldridge said FVCC was doing well financially.

“I don’t think it is going to affect our endowment or scholarships,” he said. “There is less tuition money coming in. Our administration was pretty prudent in the enrollment boom.”

Savvy spending will save FVCC some cuts from the diminished tuition. State and county funding is pretty even-keeled, while federal aid might decrease along with the full-time equivalent students.

Eldridge said this could be the bottom or near it in terms of enrollment.

“I think we’re approaching the end of the enrollment decline,” he said. “It should level off. We think we’ll be right around 1,620 at the end of the year.”