Lake Superior College (LSC) welcomed back students Monday for the first day of fall semester classes as the institution celebrates its 80th anniversary.

Numbers can fluctuate early in the semester, but enrollment appears to be up around 6% from this time last year translating to over 3,400 students for this fall semester. This comes after an enrollment growth of around 3% for the 2024-25 school year. Registered students surpassed last year’s total in early August and several programs were either full or nearly full since the middle of summer.

There’s always a special energy on the first day of classes, and this year it feels even more exciting as we kick off our 80th anniversary," said Dr. Linda Kingston, President of Lake Superior College. "We’re so glad to welcome both new and returning students to campus. Our dedicated faculty and staff are committed to helping them thrive.”

Students hail from not only the Twin Ports and across the upper Midwest, but internationally as well. Post Secondary Education Option (PSEO) students are also among this fall’s ranks with over 90 more students enrolled in that program compared to last year. The Lake Superior College Foundation awarded over $250,000 in scholarships across dozens of programs. Approximately 75% of the students who applied earned a scholarship.

Some updates for the start of the fall semester include the new manufacturing labs that are active on the main campus this fall after the completion of the T-Building expansion in early April. Also new for the fall is the relocation of LSC Store, which is now located in the upper main concourse. This allows the space to be much more visible and accessible to all students and visitors.

Lake Superior College is a community and technical college that boasts over 90 programs taught at its three Duluth locations; the main campus on Trinity Road, the Center for Advanced Aviation at the Duluth International Airport, and the Emergency Response Training Center on Highway 23 in Gary/New Duluth.