During its regular quarterly meeting held earlier today, the East Tennessee State University Board of Trustees received positive news across several fronts, including growing spring enrollment, strong fall-to-spring retention rates, new tools to strengthen the state's nursing workforce and a significant economic impact report from the ETSU Martin Center for the Arts.
Spring Enrollment on the Rise
Enrollment for the spring 2026 semester increased year over year, with 13,416 students enrolled this semester, up from 13,097 in spring 2025. The growth builds on ETSU's record-breaking incoming class of 2,284 students in fall 2025 — the largest first-year class in university history.
Retention Rates Remain Strong
ETSU not only increased the number of incoming students this academic year but also retained them. First-time freshmen fall-to-spring retention rates held steady at 90.9%, up slightly from 90.4% last spring.
"I am incredibly proud that we have maintained the high-quality, personalized support ETSU is known for while making significant increases in enrollment," ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland said. "We are not only getting more students through the door but also helping them succeed — and thrive — on campus."
Center Provides Nursing Workforce Insights
The Tennessee Center for Nursing Advancement, housed in the ETSU College of Nursing, recently launched new dashboards offering insights into the state and regional nursing workforce. Integrating multiple public and semi-public data sources, the dashboards highlight key workforce indicators alongside community-level factors such as social drivers of health. Users can explore local trends, identify areas of need, and better understand the broader context in which nurses live and work.
Martin Center for the Arts Drives Regional Economic Impact
The board also received an overview of an economic impact study examining the Martin Center for the Arts' contributions to the region for 2024. The study found that the center generated $862,081 in regional labor income from economic impact and $747,466 in regional labor income from visitor impact. Since the first academic performance in the fall of 2021, the Martin Center has issued 164,938 tickets, underscoring its role as a cultural anchor for Northeast Tennessee.
"The ETSU Martin Center for the Arts is not simply a performance space — it is a cornerstone of our region, bringing people together, strengthening community and enriching lives in ways that reach far beyond the stage," Jennifer Clements, executive director of the Martin Center for the Arts, said.
The total economic impact output generated tops $8 million, according to the report. The findings highlight the broader value of ETSU's investment in the arts and its commitment to fulfilling the university's mission to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond.
