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WyoTech president reports enrollment, expansion plans and community engagement to Laramie City Council
Summary
WyoTech President Kyle Morris told the Laramie City Council the campus has grown from 12 students in 2018 to about 1,100 in late 2024, described accreditation and funding requirements, and outlined plans for a new welding and training complex on 70 acres with a target opening in 2026 if funding is secured.
Kyle Morris, president of WyoTech, told the Laramie City Council on Jan. 14 that the vocational campus in West Laramie has grown rapidly since new ownership in 2018 and is planning additional shops and student housing to meet strong industry demand.
Morris said WyoTech reopened the Laramie campus after a period of closure and local support in 2018, growing from 12 students and 12 staff to more than 1,100 students and roughly 320,000 square feet of training facilities today. He told councilors the school runs on a quarterly schedule, graduates students every three months and holds career fairs with more than 100 employers each quarter.
Morris described WyoTech as a for‑profit, accredited career school regulated by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) and the U.S. Department of Education. He noted statutory and federal standards that affect programs: the ACCSC and federal program rules require minimum graduation and placement rates (generally 70 percent), and Title IV student-aid rules limit reliance on federal loan revenue. Morris said WyoTech’s revenue mix is roughly 60% Title IV and 40% cash, after a recent regulatory change moved GI Bill funds into the Title IV side.
He reviewed program and capacity details: WyoTech’s programs are typically nine months (some, like welding, are shorter), and the campus has space for about 1,200 students at full capacity; Morris said current enrollment is about 1,100–1,150. The campus has a 90,000‑square‑foot addition (opened in 2022) that added capacity for roughly 320 additional automotive students. The campus currently provides about 620 on‑campus beds plus about 400 leased beds around town; Morris said housing remains a constraint for hiring instructors and for further enrollment growth.
On student outcomes, Morris said most programs show graduation and placement “well above 80%,” and that WyoTech reports those figures to its accreditors and the Department of Education. He acknowledged one small, combined program (auto + diesel vehicle technology) had a low placement number and was taught out.
Morris described community-facing policies: a “good neighbor” policy in the housing handbook, a community orientation each quarter that invites city police, the sheriff’s office, BLM and local organizations, and a voluntary community-service program that previously produced tens of thousands of hours of student volunteer work. He said WyoTech recognizes students at graduation for community service via a Good Samaritan award.
On expansion, Morris displayed conceptual plans for development of 70 acres across Venture Drive that WyoTech owns. The near-term priority is a welding/training complex designed to add several hundred seats across welding, diesel, trim/upholstery and applied service management programs. Morris said WyoTech partnered with the city to apply for Wyoming Business Council funding for that project; in a “best‑case” schedule he said a welding building could open in summer or fall 2026 if funding and approvals align. Longer-term concepts include additional dorms to increase on‑campus beds beyond the current leased units. Morris said WyoTech would only grow “the right ways” and emphasized industry demand (welding sold out through April 2026 at the time of the meeting).
Councilors asked about program length and stacking credentials, instructor recruitment and temporary instructor housing (Morris said the school rents modular units to house new instructors), the Title IV revenue share, and placement rates for specific programs. Morris said admissions standards require a high‑school diploma and an admissions interview and that the campus seeks students with the commitment needed for an intensive, residential‑style program. He said tuition will increase to $34,750 for a nine‑month program in July.
Vice Mayor Anne Cumby and several councilors invited WyoTech representatives to the Albany County Housing Coalition and expressed interest in attending the school’s community orientation or career fair. Public commenter Ryan Hirshi, a local business owner, praised WyoTech students for promptness and professionalism when they shop and work in Laramie.
No formal council action was taken on the presentation; the item functioned as an informational update and a forum for council questions about housing, workforce pipelines and planned capital projects.
