Multnomah Biblical Seminary boasts a record high of 229 students enrolled for the fall of 1999, a 9.6 percent increase from last year. While the seminary's numbers rose, Multnomah Bible College experienced a 7.8 percent slump in enrollment with 545 students this fall compared to 590 students in the fall of 1998.

Of the 774 students enrolled at Multnomah, 98 are seniors, 131 are juniors, 129 are sophomores, 187 are freshman, 70 are grads, 20 are masters of biblical studies, 73 are masters of pastoral studies and 66 are masters of divinity.

Amy Stephens, Multnomah's registrar, attributes the high number of students in the seminary to the flexible class schedules Multnomah has developed. Students may come to Multnomah one day a week or two nights a week rather than four days a week to fulfill their first-year seminary requirements. Miss Stephens said the one-day schedule allows students to commute to school from Washington or Southern Oregon. She said the schedule allows some students to gradually ease back into school life while still working and raising a family.

Miss Stephens said she did not know why the number of college students dropped this year. Although the number of first-time students remained nearly the same with 101 this year compared to 99 last year, the number of first-time transfer students dropped from a yearly average of 100 to 60.

According to an article in The Oregonian, private schools around the state are losing students to the low tuition costs offered at public schools. Miss Stephens feels secure despite the trend. She said that Multnomah still offers a strong Bible program that draws students desiring to go into ministry. She said that Multnomah costs much less than many other private schools.

She said that the diminished number of freshman sounds a note of caution, but the drop was not drastic. She said the lower number of students will allow the college to serve the students well; the high number of last year nearly pushed the school over its capacity.