The fall of 2023 marked the first turnaround period for college enrollment in a decade, new research proclaims. Here’s a look at that data.
There were notable increases in enrollment of Hispanic or Latino students, students of two or more races and U.S. nonresident students, according to data released today by the National Center for Education Statistics. Overall, college enrollment increased by nearly 477,000 students, or 2.5%, compared to fall 2022. Graduate enrollment numbers also saw a gain of more than 31,000 students (1%) in the fall of 3023.
“This growth is evident across both undergraduate and graduate levels, with four-year institutions leading the way, alongside more modest gains at two-year and less-than-four-year institutions,” NCES Commissioner Peggy Carr said in a public statement.
It’s a welcome turnaround for higher ed leaders after a national decline of nearly 84,000 students in 2022. Four-year institutions in particular saw the largest increase in undergraduate enrollment, increasing by more than 369,000 students (3.4%) from fall 2022 to fall 2023. Such growth was found across all student subgroups, but it was especially pronounced among students of two or more races and Hispanic or Latino students (6.8%).
Two-year institutions in comparison welcomed an additional 67,336 students, an increase of 1.4% in the fall of 2023. Unlike four-year institutions, enrollment declined in several student subgroups, including those whose race/ethnicity is unknown (-1.6%), Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander students (-1.4%) and white students (-0.7%).
Less-than-two-year institutions reported the smallest increase in undergraduate enrollment with an increase of more than 8,700 students. Similarly, these schools saw decreases in students whose race/ethnicity was unknown (-11.3%), Asian students (-4.7%), white students (-0.1%) and American Indian or Alaska Native students (-0.6%).
Take a closer look at the data here.
More from UB: Here are the 20 most lavishly lucrative athletic programs
