25% enrollment increase: Watertown MATC starts new year

WATERTOWN – With fall classes just starting, Madison Area Technical College (MATC) has a full year ahead with increased enrollment, new programs and a 50th anniversary in 2027. Enrollment has increased across the Madison College system. Last spring, the system noted a 4% gain in enrollment from spring 2025, totaling 12,038 students. Occupational programs and university transfers (MATC offers 80+ transfer agreement options) made up the largest share of enrollment. Over the full 2025-26 academic year, the college served more than 28,700 unduplicated students. During that same year, the Watertown campus served approximately 1,033 students. This fall, early projections are already showing an estimated 25% increase in enrollment at the Watertown campus. According to Chelsey Bauer, Eastern Campus Operations Manager for the Watertown and Fort Atkinson campuses, the enrollment increase is already being felt. 'This fall, we've had the highest number of nursing students start than we have in a while,' said Bauer. 'There are 24 brand new nursing students...We had to add another section of anatomy and physiology as well. For us, that's pretty significant.' That nursing class is the largest number in six years. It's so large in fact, that the Watertown campus is adding another Watertown nursing cohort in spring 2027. It's not just new students but new programs are also on the horizon for the Watertown campus. The school recently announced its first-ever daytime EMT course, which would allow students to receive foundational training before entering into a paramedic program. The course will be available beginning Jan. 2027. Many universities act as a center for their local community, and MATC campuses are no different. At Watertown alone, the campus is used as a meeting for the Watertown Rotary, a polling place and is even providing volunteers on select days for the College Park Habitat for Humanity development. Other campus uses across the MATC system include being used as a corporate meeting space, an alternative high school, a driving school, a branch for the Jefferson County Financial Empowerment Center and a library. 'All our Madison College campuses would not be possible without the support from the community,' said Senior Public Relations and Media Specialist Jennifer Fetterly. 'It's symbiotic.' If an individual is not an MATC student, they can still take advantage of the events or some of the amenities at a neighborhood campus. For example, if a community member wanted to utilize a quiet space to read or study and the local library is not available, an MATC campus is another option. 'We are all public facilities,' said Madison College Dean of Regional Campuses Shawna Marquardt. 'People can come in and sit in any of the 16 campuses. That is a unique piece of us." One of the upcoming events available to both MATC students and the Watertown community is the Career Connections Job Fair. The healthcare-focused career fair allows attendees to meet with area employers in healthcare and other fields. Advance registration is encouraged, though walk-ins are also welcome. The event will take place in the Watertown Campus Community Room on Sept. 28th from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Watertown is one of four MATC campuses that are turning 50 in 2027. The others include Fort Atkinson, Portage and Reedsburg. The college system itself traces its routes back roughly 114 years, all the way to its beginnings as a vocational school above Madison's first fire station. According to Marquardt, the anniversary is a time for careful reflection on the past with a forward, hopeful look to the future. 'I think the 50th celebration is a hopeful message,' said Marquardt. 'It's been a great time to reinvest in our rural areas and to have a recommitment from the college that we're going to be here in another 50. We're making sustainable investments to ensure that happens.' Those investments are felt. Beyond the amenities Madison College provides to its communities, it provides its students with a menu of support systems. These can include Financial Empowerment Center services, early childcare supplies, food security services, scholarship writing workshops, volunteer opportunities, recreational programs, family and cultural events, and concerts. Log InKeep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.