Newly released fall 2023 enrollment numbers offer the most detailed look yet at how individual community colleges and state systems have fared since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using interactive data dashboards, users can explore trends among student subgroups in particular states and institutions.
Recent data suggest that students are returning to community colleges, though total numbers are well below pre-pandemic levels. Davis Jenkins explores the causes of enrollment declines in recent decades and examines ways colleges can build on successful reforms to improve student outcomes.
As the pandemic wanes and community colleges begin to find their new normal, the latest numbers from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center indicate that enrollment is stabilizing. This is welcome news, but are some parts of the country, student groups, and types of community college programs doing better than others?
As President of Edison State Community College Dr. Doreen Larson explains, colleges can—and should—take responsibility for enrollment. Larson identifies four tools for doing so: timing, testing, transfer, and tuition.
Based on observations following the last major disruption to community colleges, Davis Jenkins and John Fink explore how the COVID-19 pandemic could affect enrollment trends across three groups of students: students aged 25 and over, students aged 18–24, and dual enrollment students.
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Explore trends in community college outcomes with our interactive data visualizations.
