College enrollment is bouncing back after a pandemic-era slump. According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, enrollment grew by 2.5% this spring.
Leading the way are the nation’s community colleges. That sector of higher education made up about 55% of the recent bump. But the students who are returning to community college classrooms today are less interested in earning a bachelor’s degree. They’re coming for vocational training and high-tech skills.
The biotechnology associate’s degree and certificate program at Middlesex Community College is among the many STEM-focused areas that are attracting students to a community college education in eastern Massachusetts. The major aims to prepare students for careers in the region’s biotech industry. The school even has a clean room lab space.
