Central Piedmont powers the region’s growth surge - more students, scholarships, and pathways to opportunity
Central Piedmont Community College has released its 2024–25 Annual Report, highlighting a year of record-setting enrollment, expanded student opportunities, and a deeper regional workforce impact. With over 33,000 students enrolled during the spring term, the largest in its history, the college continues to serve as the educational and economic engine.
“This wasn’t just a record-breaking year – it was a transformational one,” said Central Piedmont President Dr. Kandi W. Deitemeyer. “We are meeting urgent workforce needs while giving thousands of students a pathway to a better future. This impact is only possible because of the trust, investment, and partnership of our community, and we look forward to how we will continue to create more opportunities for students in the year ahead.”
With research indicating more than 150 people are moving to the region per day, Central Piedmont continues to expand access and accelerate training in sectors vital to the region’s future. The college provided more than $4.2 million in scholarships to nearly 2,500 students, the most in a single year, removing barriers to higher education for thousands of individuals and families.
Why it matters
The region’s unprecedented population growth demands more from its educational and workforce institutions. Central Piedmont is meeting this challenge head-on, scaling programs, facilities, and student support to ensure upward mobility and talent readiness keep pace with the region’s economic expansion.
Students like Rachael, a former aerial artist now preparing for a career in fire protection; Tiffany, a mother working toward a degree in social work; and Eugene, an alum who returned to the college as an academic advisor to help new students find purpose and opportunity, reflect the diverse aspirations and real-world outcomes behind the numbers.
Expanding capacity to serve
To meet the region’s evolving workforce needs, the college launched a new associate's degree in artificial intelligence (AI) and expanded healthcare training through a $500,000 grant that enabled the development of new radiography and X-ray programs. The college also announced the Community Lifeline, a public safety training complex that will strengthen emergency response across the region.
“Central Piedmont belongs to this community -- it reflects its hopes, its determination, and its future,” Deitemeyer said. “Our students will go on to serve as the region’s nurses, coders, electricians, and entrepreneurs. Through education, we are changing lives and strengthening the economic vitality of the region.”
Additional highlights include:
- the opening of a student Campus Wellness Center
- record participation in the employee giving campaign up 23%
- $315,000 raised for U.S. military veterans and first responders through the college’s annual Sporting Clays Classic.