By Arlenne Serna
Recently, the National Student Clearinghouse released spring 2021 national enrollment estimates. These estimates were reported by degree level, institutional sector, enrollment intensity, age group, gender, major field, and included state-level enrollment estimates. State-level enrollment data were also broken out by institution.
- In spring 2021, the rate of enrollment declined by 3.5% from the fall of 2020. This is seven times larger than that of the -0.5% decline reported from fall 2019 to spring 2020.
- Overall postsecondary enrollment decreased by 3.5% or 603,000 students.
- While undergraduate enrollment declined across all institutional sectors, community college enrollment experienced the steepest decline at 9.5% resulting in 476,000 fewer students enrolled.
- The group experiencing the steepest decline from fall 2020 to spring 2021 was traditional college-age students (age 18 to 24) with 524,000 fewer students enrolled.
- Male enrollment across all sectors was lower than female enrollment in spring 2021.
- At community colleges in particular, male enrollment dropped 14.4% compared to a 6% drop for female enrollment.
- Enrollment declined across all but seven states from 2020 to 2021: Idaho, Maryland, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.
- Undergraduate majors were impacted in various ways by enrollment fluctuations from spring 2020 to spring 2021.
- Construction Trades had the biggest decrease in enrollment at four-year institutions.
- Precision Production had the biggest decrease in enrollment at two-year institutions.
- Personal and Culinary Services had the biggest increase in enrollment at four-year institutions.
- Legal Professions and Studies had the biggest increase in enrollment at two-year institutions.
- Only two majors saw enrollment increases at two-year institutions in spring 2021: Psychology (.8% increase) and Legal Professions and Studies (4.8% increase).
- By contrast, eight majors saw enrollment increases at four-year institutions in 2021.
