Published On: March 20, 2026 5:27 amLast Updated: March 19, 2026 1:11 pmBy

Yes.

Following a conservative takeover in 2023, the New College of Florida has seen its enrollment numbers increase.

In 2023, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed new conservative members to New College’s Board of Trustees. The new board then ousted the former president in an effort to align the college with “classical” education and stray away from “far-left” ideologies. 

Though the move was controversial, enrollment at New College has rebounded from pandemic lows. There were 881 students enrolled during the 2024-25 academic year, which was an increase from the 732 in 2023-24.

The previous administration saw an increase in enrollment before the conservative takeover –– from 659 students in 2021-22 to 689 in 2022-23 –– but the largest increase was after current president Richard Corcoran was sworn in.

It’s unclear whether these increases are because of the conservative leadership or other factors like a post-pandemic boom, but New College’s new identity hasn’t tanked enrollment.

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