College students coming back to town as 2026-2027 gets underway
The Vermilion campus of Minnesota North College is bucking both trends and headwinds.
As many colleges face declines in student enrollment, that’s not the case in Ely as the 2026-27 school year begins on Monday at Vermilion.
Enrollment is projected to increase and student housing was full heading into move-in weekend.
About 350 students are expected to arrive in town this weekend to move into both on-campus and off-campus housing.
While enrollment at Vermilion remains down from what it was 10, 20 or 30 years ago, it is ticking up and that’s in sharp contrast to declines being seen overall in the Minnesota North system, which includes campuses in Ely, Virginia, Eveleth, Grand Rapids, Hibbing and International Falls.
The new school year also comes with new leadership at Vermilion, with Keith Turner stepping in as campus director.
Turner returns to Vermilion after a 20-year absence but with a long history with the school.
A graduate of Vermilion and former football player at the school, Turner also spent a decade-anda- half on staff as a coach and instructor.
As school officials and staff were readying for the new year this week, the student count was still growing.
Vermilion was a construction zone for much of the summer, as workers completed the next phase of a $3.6 million overhaul to the campus.
That included major renovations to the classroom building, which was the result of funding included in the state bonding bill in 2024.
Over the course of the last two years, work included a new roof, restroom improvements and corridors received epoxy terrazzo flooring, wood panels, as well as new lighting and ceilings.
In two separate areas, two classrooms were combined into 45-seat single classrooms, while other classrooms got new flooring, ceiling and IT equipment.
New doors were also installed and several classrooms also have new furnishings including tables and chairs while a new campus- wide fire alarm control panel was also installed.
Athletics continues to play a major part in Vermilion’s enrollment growth, with approximately 70 football players on the roster along with nine current volleyball players.
Both basketball teams are at better than full strength while the baseball team will have 32 players on campus this fall.
The bulk of the students are arriving en masse this weekend, although football and volleyball players and a few other students have been here a week or more.
As part of Minnesota North, Vermilion is part of a single unified college with five separate campuses - joining Itasca (Grand Rapids), Mesabi (Virginia/Eveleth), Rainy River (International Falls) and Hibbing.
The merger came in response to overall declines in student population and is geared at streamlining operations as well as offering students additional opportunities.
Vermilion is known for its niche programming - an array of courses and degree programs that focus on the natural environment.
The school year comes to an unofficial start Saturday and Sunday, when vehicles fill the parking lots and pull up outside campus housing units and first and second-year students arrive in town, many with their parents.
In contrast with many community colleges, which rely heavily on graduates from nearby high schools, Vermilion is unique as a two-year school that gets its students predominantly from outside the area and who live on campus.
