LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - SOWELA’s 2025 Fall enrollment saw a historic 20% year-over-year increase. It’s an achievement that marks the first time in the college’s 87-year history that enrollment exceeded 4,500 students. Now, enrollment is once again open for the Spring 2026 semester. We spoke with Dr. Neil Aspinwall this morning to get the details.

SOWELA’s programs experiencing the highest growth include:

Criminal Justice at 47.06%

Aviation Maintenance at 38.64%

Vehicle Maintenance and Repair at 35.14%

Welding at 29.89%

The College is also experiencing growth again in the number of credit hours SOWELA students take, at 40,613, up from 35,502.

SOWELA attributes the enrollment increase in these programs to an emphasis on meeting industry workforce needs and the high-wage, high-deman

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