Overview
- Preliminary Clearinghouse data show total postsecondary enrollment up about 2.0% as undergraduate counts rose 2.4% this fall.
- Community colleges led sector gains with a 4.0% increase, compared with 1.9% at public four-year and 0.9% at private nonprofit four-year institutions.
- Shorter credentials outpaced bachelor’s programs, with certificates up 6.6%, associate degrees up 3.1%, and bachelor’s enrollment up 1.2%; less-selective colleges grew 3.3%.
- Graduate enrollment was essentially flat at 0.1% overall, including a 0.6% decline in master’s programs and a 1.1% increase in doctoral programs.
- Program demand shifted as computer and information sciences declined across levels (down about 5.8% to 15%), while health and trade fields posted gains, including engineering technologies up 8.3%, mechanic and repair up 10.4%, and health professions up 10.1% at two-year schools.