It is about 600 students and counting for the still-new Peachtree City campus of Clayton State University.

Dr. Kevin Demmitt, Clayton State’s administrator in Fayette County, said recently the growth in the number of students at the campus has been phenomenal. Demmitt said he expects that trend to continue, along with increased degree options.

“Before the Peachtree City campus opened, we averaged about 100 students,” Demmitt said. “Now it’s about 600. By any measure that’s phenomenal.”

Prior to opening the Peachtree City campus, Clayton State held classes at the city’s tennis center and at Lafayette Education Center in Fayetteville. But things began to change in January 2008 when the university opened its first permanent campus in Fayette County, a 9,000 square-foot facility located at 1200 Commerce Drive.

The school currently offers five degree programs at the Fayette campus. Those include the B.S. in Psychology and Human Services, a B.S. in Integrative Studies, a B.A.S. in Administrative Management, the R.N. to B.S.N. program and the M.B.A. program.

“The first cohort of 23 M.B.A. students graduates will finish this summer,” Demmitt said of the first group to complete their studies at the new campus.

Demmitt said the school has also seen a lot of success with an Aviation Administration concentration that came about after the university partnered with Delta Airlines. Thirty-two students will complete those studies this year, Demmitt said.

On the near horizon, Demmitt said the university is working with the Board of Regents to establish a B.B.A. program in Peachtree City.

“The Board of Regents has to approve it, but there should be no problem. It will probably be about two months before we know,” said Demmitt.

Also in the future is the question of how many students can be accommodated at the current site.

The answer, said Demmitt, is approximately 1,000 students. It has been just over 16 months since the Fayette campus opened and the school is already at 60 percent capacity.

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