Enrollment Jumps for Big Schools and Community Colleges

Enrollment News

This week, we saw some large public and private schools report increases in enrollment. Harvard, Texas A&M, Penn, and UNC all reported increases in enrollment. Even some for profit schools joined in the enrollment jump. Career Education, which manages both Colorado Technical University and American Intercontinental University, saw a 3.3% increase in enrollment.

UNC has seen a 6% increase in applications since last year. THE DAILY TAR HEEL (2/4/18)

Harvard applications rose 8.2% from last year. THE HARVARD GAZETTE (2/13/18)

But it's not all rosy. Smaller schools, including community colleges and smaller HCBUs continued to see a drop in applicants and enrollment.

Many HBCUs are flourishing, but tiny Paine is facing serious problems, including an enrollment decline of nearly 50 percent from 2010 to 2015. THE ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION (2/1/18)

The University of Montana saw a 5.4% drop in enrollment from last spring. 8KPAX.com (2/23/18)

Harford Community College enrollment declines by 6.7 percent. The Baltimore Sun (2/22/18)

It is also worth noting how 10 Community College Presidents noted this pain point in Inside Higher Ed's 2017 Survey of Community College Presidents.

Eighty percent called financial matters a “big challenge,” followed by enrollment management (74 percent), and politics and public safety (52 percent). INSIDE HIGHER ED (4/21/17)

Not all community colleges are seeing a drastic decline. In Oregon, enrollment at smaller universities and community colleges have also seen a decline, but the drop has been less pronounced at Portland Community College.

President Mark Mitsui tells us why. PORTLAND BUSINESS JOURNAL (2/22/18)

Along with President Mitsui's vision, California's governor also proposed that Community Colleges offer more online options. California's proposed online community college won’t offer degrees. Instead, learners will earn credits, certificates, and/or 'badges.' 

California’s Proposed Online Community College Steps Outside the Higher Ed Model. ELEARNING INSIDE NEWS (2/17/18)

Online Course Enrollment See Relentless Growth CAMPUS TECHNOLOGY (1/22/18)

Though this plan has received skepticism from the local education community, the distance learning trend continues to gain steam. Babson's Survey Research Group recently released their survey on 'Tracking Distance Learning in the United States' and ranked the top 50 US institutions by their distance learning enrollment numbers. Among the top 50, we saw only 3 community colleges: Coastline Community College,  Houston Community College, and Ivy Tech Community College. All three schools, unsurprisingly, happen to be early movers in the online distance learning space and work to accommodate non-traditional learners.