PITTSFORD, N.Y. — For Victoria Howard, there was no doubt about pursuing a higher education.

“I knew that I just wanted to do something bigger, and I wanted to work in the psychology field after taking AP Psych in high school,” Howard, a junior college student, said.

Whether it was attending university for athletics offerings...

"I'm playing football, so I just really have a love for the game,” freshman college student Noah Kintner said. “I thought St. John Fisher was the best option for me.” 

Or continuing a family legacy...

“My dad went here,” freshman college student Emma Cottet said. “So this was the first place I actually toured and I loved it.”

St. John Fisher celebrates its growth period as other universities nationwide struggle with retention.

“They're looking for value,” said Jose Perales, St. John Fisher’s enrollment management vice president. “They're looking for a return on investment of their educational dollars. And so the things that we have invested in really impact the student experience.” 

Enrolling its largest class in university history, St. John Fisher has received more than 700 enrollment deposits from first-year students and will enroll the largest, most academically qualified and most diverse class in its history.

“A lot of times it can be hard to find a place that is welcoming and kind of worth it,” Howard said. “And I feel like Fisher really tries to be open to everybody and give everybody a place, and we just make it feel like home and that's always been our goal and it will continue to be our goal.”

Perales has been a member of Fisher's admissions team for nearly 30 years and has seen the trends come and go in terms of what students seek.

“It's our responsibility now to make sure that we deliver on our promises,” Perales said. “We have new academic programs, new athletic teams, more technology investment and more student life experiences.” 

With many variables such costs and a growing labor market, high school students have shared with their classmates and have examined other avenues for their futures.

“A lot of kids go to trade school, but I guess they feel the opportunity to not go to college and that it's not as much of a pressure to go,” Cottet said. “So a lot of kids realize they don't have to go.”

Recognizing the importance of not only a unique educational experience but also a cultural one, the university shares that they continue to remain top of mind for college searching families.

“They're going to learn here that the value of an education has not been diminished,” Perales said. “That is the way students get into careers. It is the way that they have new experiences, meet new people and build relationships that are going to last for their lives.”