This fall Redeemer welcomed the largest incoming class since its establishment in 1982, after seeing 14.5 per cent growth and the second largest incoming class last year. In 2019, the university reduced its tuition by 42 per cent to $9,800 for Canadian undergraduate students. This year, Redeemer’s unique dual-delivery model is allowing students to participate in person with physical distancing, or remotely with a live presence on screen during class. Approximately 80 per cent of Redeemer’s students are participating in person this fall, while the remaining students are participating remotely from locations ranging from Ontario to as far away as Malaysia and Nigeria.
“We’re pleased to see so many new students choosing Redeemer for their post-secondary experience,” says President Robert J. Graham. “We believe Redeemer has a unique offering – a Christian community where faith is woven throughout the entire university experience – at a price point that is affordable for many more students.”
The incoming class of 358 students includes 283 undergraduate, 59 bachelor of education and 16 gap year students in Redeemer’s Act Five program. Total enrolment is up 13.5 per cent to 896 this year from 789 last year and 689 in 2018.
“It’s an exciting time for Redeemer students. We are committed to investing in a vibrant academic and spiritual campus experience that prepares them to make a difference in the world.”
“It’s an exciting time for Redeemer students. We are committed to investing in a vibrant academic and spiritual campus experience that prepares them to make a difference in the world,” says Dr. David Zietsma, provost and vice president, academic. “And we’re grateful that even during the pandemic and in a challenging post-secondary environment, we are seeing continued momentum in terms of Redeemer’s long-term enrolment growth plan.”
Since its tuition restructuring in 2019, Redeemer has seen an enrolment increase of over 30 per cent, surpassing targets. Growth in the university’s health sciences program, over 70 transfer students, and a large cohort from western Canada, are also helping to boost numbers.
These trends are leading to big changes at Redeemer, most notably with a new residence and learning facility now under construction to accommodate the enrolment increase. The makeup and location of the building, a key tactic of Learn. Forward. Redeemer’s 2025 Strategic Plan, flows directly out of Redeemer’s mission to provide an education that integrates faith and encompasses all of life and learning. With 170 beds in multi-student units, and classrooms and breakout rooms on the lower level, the new facility is scheduled to be open in September 2021, when enrolment is projected to surpass 1,000 students.