Saint Mary’s College in South Bend has reached its highest enrollment in 18 years.

This fall semester, 1,664 students are enrolled at Saint Mary’s. The college president, Carol Ann Mooney, says an increase in enrollment at a private college during a global recession is noteworthy. She added that the college has adapted to the struggling economy.

There has been an 11-percent increase among students needing financial aid and Saint Mary's has increased their aid budget by 2.6 million dollars.

Mooney says she believes this extra effort has resulted in a stable enrollment for the college.