Fresno-area community college leaders hope enrollment will rebound this fall even as a new report shows fewer students attended colleges across the U.S. in the last year.
Undergraduate enrollment in the nation fell by more than 662,000, or 4.7% this spring compared with spring 2021, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s annual report.
Community colleges suffered the most with a 7.8% decline, losing 351,000 students — and Fresno City College was no exception, according to district data.
In spring 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic hit, there were 23,090 students attending the college. In spring 2021, that number had dropped to 20,540, and this spring, it was 18,214. In the years prior, it appeared the college was gaining in enrollment.
