Bluffton College Enrollment & the Great War
Enrollment at Bluffton College suffered most during the 1918-1919 academic year. As the war ended and more male students returned to campus, the need for a men’s residence hall became clear. The data presented here is taken from data reported in the annual college catalog. Separate counts for men and women were reported beginning with the 1922-23 year.
| Fall 1913 | Classes begin at the newly reorganized Bluffton College and Mennonite Seminary |
| 1913-1914 | 198 students enrolled |
| 1914-1915 | 274 |
| 1915-1916 | 352 |
| 1916-1917 | 352 |
| 8 May 1917 | Selective Service Act of 1917 passes |
| 1917-1918 | 340 |
| 1918-1919 | 232 |
| 11 November 1918 | Armistice; WWI ends |
| 1919-1920 | 342 |
| 1920-1921 | 337 |
| 1921-1922 | 361 |
| 1922-1923 | 332 (157 men, 175 women) |
| 1923-1924 | 363 (170 men, 193 women) |
| January 1924 | Lincoln Hall opens as residence hall for men |
| 1924-1925 | 395 (201 men, 194 women) |
| 1925-1926 | 406 (209 men, 197 women) |