Fall 2020 enrollment at community colleges is down by 7.5%, according to preliminary data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
In its First Look Fall 2020 Enrollment findings, with 22% of colleges reporting as of Sept. 10, the nonprofit research organization says undergraduate numbers “fell nationwide and across all types of institutions.”
“I think many people thought by now, six months into the recession, we should start seeing enrollment growth by unemployed students looking to upskill,” said Doug Shapiro, the center’s executive director, in an Inside Higher Ed story. “Those students in a typical recession should be flowing into community colleges en masse; we’re not seeing any of that. The enrollment decline in community colleges is among all age groups. Many people thought students would transfer to community colleges to be closer to home; we’re not seeing any evidence of that in today’s data.”
To view the full report, click here.
