For a fourth consecutive semester, Mercy College of Health Sciences in Des Moines has enrolled a record number of new students. For this fall semester, 320 new students have enrolled, a 26% increase from last fall’s record new-student enrollment of 254 students, college officials said. The record new-student enrollment brings the private Catholic health college’s total enrollment to nearly 800 for the first time since the fall of 2013, reversing a recent dip in enrollment. “Mercy College’s continued growth is a tribute to our high-quality, specialized programs that provide hands-on learning experiences from our amazing faculty,” Mercy College President Douglas Fiore said in a release. The growth is also a testament to the high need for health professionals in Iowa, he said. To read a Business Record Insider profile of Mercy College’s new president, click here.