The National Student Clearinghouse has tracked enrollment data starting in Summer 2020 and, recently, into the Fall 2020 semester. As a whole, postsecondary enrollment decreased 1.8 percent compared to Fall of 2019.
Highlights from Fall 2020 enrollment trends are as follows:
- Undergraduate enrollments are 2.5 percent below last year’s enrollment numbers while graduate student enrollments are up by 3.9 percent.
- At the undergraduate level, community college enrollment decreased 7.5% and private, non profit four-year institution enrollment decreased 3.8%.
- Public four-year institution enrollment decreased by 0.4%.
- Although enrollment numbers vary by campus setting, public, four-year institutions located in cities are faring better than suburban and rural public four-year colleges.
- Community colleges have declined universally, regardless of where they are located.
- Among 26 states for which the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center has sufficient data available, more than 19 enrolled fewer undergraduate students compared to the same time last fall.
- Graduate enrollments have increased in 21 of 26 states.
- There has been a decrease in enrollment for all racial and ethnic groups at the undergraduate level.
- White and Black undergraduate students have each seen declines of 6.3 percent nationally. Community colleges have experienced declines of 9% and 12.1% respectively.
- American Indian and Native Alaskan students have seen enrollment decreases of 6.8% in public four-year colleges and 7.7% in community colleges.
- Graduate enrollments have seen growth in all groups, specifically for Hispanic and Asian students at 14.2% and 9.3% respectively.
- Undergraduate enrollment rates have decreased across all age groups.
- Students enrolled in dual enrollment programs – students age 17 or younger who are taking college courses while in high school – are the one exception. Enrollment of dual enrollees at public four-year colleges have grown by 3.7 percent and by 2.2 percent at public community colleges.
- Fall enrollments have decreased in both the full-time and part-time enrollment intensity categories specifically at community colleges and private nonprofit four-year colleges.
- At public four-year colleges, full-time students dropped by only 0.6 percent.
- At primarily online institutions (POIs) where more than 90 percent of students enrolled exclusively online even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, undergraduate students attending full-time declined by 5.6 percent while part-time student enrollment increased by 3.6 percent.
- A double-digit enrollment increase is notable for both Hispanic students and Asian students at rates of 18.6 percent and 17 percent, respectively.
- Black student enrollment numbers at POIs dropped at both the undergraduate and graduate levels to 6.2 percent and 4.6 percent respectively.
