BATON ROUGE — Baton Rouge Community College has set a new enrollment record with more than 12,000 students signed up for the first semester of 2026.

The college also reached a new high for first-time students, with 3,565 newcomers this semester.

This marks a 10 percent increase in total enrollment compared to fall 2025 and beats the previous record of 11,066 students from fall 2024.

First-time student enrollment jumped nearly 31 percent over the previous record of 2,722 set in fall 2025.

BRCC Chancellor Willie E. Smith Sr. said the numbers show strong confidence in the college and its programs. The record includes students in academic and workforce programs, with BRCC offering pathways to four-year schools and high-demand careers. 

The college has rolling start dates for the fall semester, so the final enrollment count may continue to rise.