Despite its modesty, there is finally some encouraging news regarding college enrollment. According to the most recent report, Stay Informed with the Latest Enrollment Information, released by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC), enrollment at community colleges increased by 2.1% this spring compared to the previous spring.

Overview

After two years of sharp declines caused by the pandemic, undergraduate enrollment generally remained stable, rising by just 0.2%. From last spring, there was no change in total college enrollment, including undergraduates and graduates.

Based on 8.5 million spring enrollments in institutions—just over half (54%) of the Clearinghouse universe of institutions—these are the preliminary data through February 23, 2023. The results will likely change as more data are collected for the spring 2023 semester.

In general, enrollment changes vary depending on the location of the institutions, and NSCRC will update them in May. Institutions in the Northeast (-2.4%) recorded the most significant declines, followed by those in the Midwest (-0.6%). Institutions in the West went up 0.6 percent, while those in the South went up 0.4 percent. There was a 4.7% increase in multi-state institution enrollments.

End Note

The National Student Clearinghouse’s research arm is the NSCRC. To collect precise longitudinal data that can guide educational policy decisions, it works with higher education institutions, states, school districts, high schools, and educational organizations.

As of 2020, NSCRC will analyze data from 3,600 postsecondary institutions, which account for 97% of the nation’s Title IV degree-granting postsecondary enrollment.