COEUR d’ALENE — North Idaho College was buzzing with excitement Tuesday as hundreds of prospective students filled the campus for the annual NIC Bus Tour.

The atmosphere was celebratory following Monday night’s landmark board meeting that confirmed NIC would retain its accreditation and return to good standing with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

“This is the first day of the latest chapter for NIC,” said NIC President Nick Swayne. “I think it will be the best chapter yet.”

Enrollment numbers suggest Swayne is right.

Overall, spring enrollment is up 3.8%, with full-time, degree-seeking students and dual-credit students projected to increase by 7%.

Though these enrollment numbers are not final, NIC leadership is optimistic.

“There are still 21 days left in the enrollment period and percentages can swing wildly in the last few weeks, but everything points to very, very good numbers for the college,” said Interim Chief Communications and Government Relations Officer Tom Greene.

NIC Director of Dual Credit Andy Ruppel attributed the dramatic rise in dual-credit students to a strong relationship with local high schools.

“The bottom line is high school students can get a head start on college. Dual credit makes higher education much, much more affordable,” Ruppel said.

Swayne said the higher enrollment was due to a variety of factors, including effective marketing and streamlined enrollment.

NIC is in a state of continuous innovation, he added.

“We’re expanding AI opportunities. We’re partnering with the University of Idaho on different projects like robotics, theater, nursing, hospitality and culinary arts,” Swayne said. “We’re working on grants with NASA and the regional tech hub. These are exciting opportunities, and people gravitate toward that.”

Swayne also highlighted the Cardinal Classical pathway, which launches next fall.

Cardinal Classical will be a subset of general education offerings that follows a classical orientation. NIC will be the first state college in Idaho to offer a classical pathway.

“That’s a good example of us listening to our community,” he said. “K-12 classical charter schools are growing rapidly in Idaho, but there’s no clear post-secondary next step. NIC can fill that void."

Enrollment for NIC’s homeschool student population is up 16.7%, Swayne said, which he expects to grow even more when the Cardinal Classical program takes off.

“NIC has always been bigger than any one moment or any one board. It belongs to this community,” Swayne said. “Now the story isn’t about what NIC almost lost: it’s about what we’re building next.”