Community College Enrollment Grew This Spring Over One Year Ago, Due to Younger Students

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Community College Enrollment Grew This Spring Over One Year Ago, Due to Younger Students

Total Postsecondary Enrollment Remains Well Below Pre-Pandemic Levels

HERNDON, VA – (MAY 24, 2023) – Community college enrollment grew slightly this spring (up 0.5% or 22,000 students from spring 2022), after large declines in the previous two years, due to a growing number of younger students, according to a new report by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

A growing number of younger students, primarily dual-enrolled high school students, and freshmen, contributed to the uptick in community college enrollment. Undergraduate enrollment at public and private nonprofit four-year institutions are still declining, but at slower rates (-0.5% and -0.2%, respectively).

After pandemic-driven declines began to level off last fall, overall undergraduate enrollment remained stable for the spring term (-0.2% or -25,000 students). In comparison, graduate-level enrollment is faring more poorly (-2.2% or -68,000 students from spring 2022), eroding pandemic-associated gains. Total postsecondary enrollment remains well below pre-pandemic levels, down about 1.09 million students overall and about 1.16 million undergraduates alone, compared to spring 2020.

“Despite encouraging signs of recovery among younger students at community colleges, overall undergraduate enrollment is still well below pre-pandemic levels, especially among degree-seeking students,” said Doug Shapiro, executive director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. “With the pandemic now behind us, a new set of factors appears to be preventing students from returning to campuses. And these new factors are having a stronger effect on students who are seeking bachelor’s degrees than on associate-seekers.”

Freshman enrollment grew 9.2 percent from spring 2022, building on a similar increase reported last year, though it’s important to note that percentage increases in spring freshmen are based on a far smaller scale than in fall. Community colleges accounted for the majority of spring freshmen (53.9%) and had the largest increases of any sector (+12.4%), leading to a spring 2023 community college freshman class 7.0 percent larger than the spring 2020 levels.

Undergraduate-level students are shifting the types of credentials they pursue, with enrollments in bachelor’s degree programs falling more steeply than associate degree programs (-1.4% or -114,000 students versus -0.4% or -15,000 students) and other sub-baccalaureate credentials showing enrollment growth (+4.8% or +104,000 students; see Table 2). Graduate-level enrollment drops are almost entirely due to losses in master’s programs (-57,000 students).

Other highlights include:

  • Continuing the trend from fall 2022, younger students are driving community college enrollment growth, specifically an 8.0 percent increase in dual-enrolled high school students (+49,000 students under age 18) and a 1.1 percent increase in 18- to 24-year-old enrollment (+24,000; see Table 4).
  • Over the longer term, the median age of a community college student has dropped by more than a year since 2019 (down 1.2 years from 20.7 to 19.5 for men and 1.3 years from 20.4 to 19.1 for women; see Table 6), with enrollment under age 18 growing by 13.6 percent and each of the two older age groups declining much more steeply (-22.5% for age 18-24; -25.7% for age over 24).
  • Female enrollment declined by 1.2 percent (-118,000 students), while male enrollment grew slightly (+0.4% or +25,000 students; see Table 7). The latest gender results extend the trend of an improved enrollment outlook for men relative to women, first seen in the second pandemic year (fall 2021), particularly at community colleges where male enrollment increased by 2.7 percent this spring (+45,000 students).
  • Nearly all states follow the national trend, with slowing declines, stabilization, or growth over last spring. Both multi-state institutions and primarily online institutions, which are not included in individual states, regained the enrollments they lost last year, returning to spring 2021 levels (see Table 8a).
  • Computer science undergraduate programs at four-year institutions reached their highest growth rate in three years (+11.6% or +62,000 students) in spring 2023. At two-year institutions, computer science enrollments are now above pre-pandemic levels, reversing three years of flat or declining numbers (+9.7% or +20,000 students). Healthcare and education program enrollments continued to fall across two- and four-year institutions alike (see Tables 9 and 10).

The Current Term Enrollment Estimates report series is published every January and May by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. It provides national enrollment estimates by degree level, institutional sector, enrollment intensity, age group, gender, and major field, as well as state-level enrollment estimates. Starting in fall 2020, state-level enrollment data are also shown by institution sector. Enrollment estimates are adjusted for Clearinghouse data coverage rates by institutional sector, state, and year. This differs from the Stay Informed report series which is designed to quantify the effects of COVID-19 by analyzing year-over-year percent change in unadjusted, preliminary data for fixed panels of institutions that reported data in the same month each year across all comparison years. The estimated enrollment numbers presented in the CTEE report may, therefore, differ from the results of the Stay Informed reports due to the methodology and institution coverage.

About the National Student Clearinghouse® Research Center™

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is the research arm of the National Student Clearinghouse. The Research Center collaborates with higher education institutions, states, school districts, high schools, and educational organizations as part of a national effort to better inform education leaders and policymakers. Through accurate longitudinal data outcomes reporting, the Research Center enables better educational policy decisions leading to improved student outcomes. To learn more, visit nscresearchcenter.org.

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The National Student Clearinghouse Announces David G. Payne as New Vice President of Learner Insights

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The National Student Clearinghouse Announces David G. Payne as New Vice President of Learner Insights

HERNDON, VA – (MAY 18, 2023) – The National Student Clearinghouse announced today that David G. Payne will join as the new Vice President of Learner Insights. David’s responsibility will be to drive the organization’s unification and growth of several products and services into one vertical business division, Learner Insights. In this industry-facing role, David will be responsible for the strategic future growth of division products and services, including the acquisition of new and improved products and services.

“We welcome David as part of the Clearinghouse’s strategic leadership team,” said Rick Torres, President and CEO of the National Student Clearinghouse. “David is a dynamic, collaborative, and visionary leader with deep knowledge of the higher education and employment markets. He will help us achieve growth and innovation with our product offerings by viewing and positioning them through a strong customer lens and ensuring that – through the learner insights we provide – we remain focused on our mission.”

“As a first-generation college student, I understand the transformative power of education,” said David Payne. I am excited to bring my experience as a research-active faculty member, administrator, and educational assessment business leader to this new role. I look forward to working with my team, the Clearinghouse’s Board of Directors, and the Research Center Board of Directors to provide strategic direction for the organization, deepen client satisfaction, and drive innovation in the education sector.”

Before joining the National Student Clearinghouse, David served as Senior Strategic Advisor, Solutions at JFF Labs, Jobs for the Future. Prior to that position, he spent several years at Educational Testing Services (ETS), where he served in various roles, from Associate Vice President to Global Higher Education Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. He also served as Chairman of ETS Global B.V. and ETS International Holdings Limited.

David was a professor, the Psychology Department Chair, Vice Provost, and Graduate Dean at Binghamton University – SUNY in Binghamton, New York. He has a Ph.D. in Psychology from Purdue University. In addition, he holds a Master of Science in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science, Psychology, both from State University of New York College at Cortland.

About the National Student Clearinghouse®

The National Student Clearinghouse, a nonprofit formed in 1993, is the trusted source for and leading provider of higher education verifications and electronic education record exchanges. Besides working with nearly 3,600 postsecondary institutions, the Clearinghouse also provides thousands of high schools and districts with continuing collegiate enrollment, progression, and completion statistics on their alumni. Education partners throughout the nation trust the National Student Clearinghouse because they know we take our commitment to student privacy very seriously. We focus on serving our customers with high-quality services that they expect from us. The Clearinghouse is scrupulous in its concern for student privacy and compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which protects students’ privacy rights in their education records. For more details, visit studentclearinghouse.org.

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The National Student Clearinghouse Announces Christopher Goodson as Chief Growth Officer

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The National Student Clearinghouse Announces Christopher Goodson as Chief Growth Officer

HERNDON, VA – (MAY 16, 2023) – The National Student Clearinghouse announced today that Chris Goodson will serve as its Chief Growth Officer (CGO) to oversee the organization’s continued expansion, particularly as it broadens its footprint in the workforce development and skills training areas.

“We are so pleased to welcome Chris to the Clearinghouse leadership team. He is a transformational business leader with a passion for education and a track record of success over more than two decades working across education verticals,” said Rick Torres, President and CEO of the National Student Clearinghouse. “His leadership of cross-functional teams in dynamic and evolving markets to meet customer and client needs and his ability to foster collaborative cultures will be invaluable to the Clearinghouse.”

Chris’ role as CGO will be to oversee a broad array of products and services. With a laser focus on the customer, he will be tasked with implementing new and improved product and service strategies to drive innovation. He will be responsible for all K-12 and higher education product development, business development and sales, marketing and communications, analytics and insights, and customer experience. He will also serve as one of the organization’s spokespersons.

“Like so many of its educational partners, I have relied on the National Student Clearinghouse’s unmatched data reporting, services, and insights throughout my career,” said Chris. “The Clearinghouse’s singular combination of longitudinal student data and deep relationships with education, workforce, and government partners has allowed the Clearinghouse to develop new, customer-aligned solutions to meet the needs of an ever-changing education landscape. I am thrilled and honored to join the Clearinghouse as it continues to grow and expand its services to benefit students, families, and its stakeholder community.”

Before joining the National Student Clearinghouse, Chris held several leadership positions in education technology and business solutions. Most recently, he was with Lumen Learning as Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Customer Experience. Prior to Lumen, he spent six years at Amazon Web Services (AWS), assisting U.S. Higher Education customers transform their environments with cloud services. At HMH, he served first as a Senior Vice President for Corporate Affairs and Social Responsibility and later Education Services, and during eight years at Microsoft, Chris held leadership roles in the U.S. and Worldwide Public Sector, focused primarily on Education. Chris has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

About the National Student Clearinghouse®

The National Student Clearinghouse, a nonprofit formed in 1993, is the trusted source for and leading provider of higher education verifications and electronic education record exchanges. Besides working with nearly 3,600 postsecondary institutions, the Clearinghouse also provides thousands of high schools and districts with continuing collegiate enrollment, progression, and completion statistics on their alumni. Education partners throughout the nation trust the National Student Clearinghouse because they know we take our commitment to student privacy very seriously. We focus on serving our customers with high-quality services that they expect from us. The Clearinghouse is scrupulous in its concern for student privacy and compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which protects students’ privacy rights in their education records. For more details, visit studentclearinghouse.org.

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