College Enrollment Fell for 2nd Consecutive Year. NewsWire

NewsWire: 4/23/21

• College enrollment declined in fall 2020, particularly at public two-year institutions. Overall undergraduate enrollments were down 3.6% YoY, with the biggest declines among black and Native American students. (Marketwatch)
• NH: College enrollments declined in fall 2020, especially at two-year colleges. According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC), overall enrollment fell -2.5%--nearly twice the rate of enrollment decline that was reported in fall 2019. The primary driver for this decline was undergraduate enrollments, which were down -3.6% YoY. The biggest losses were among those seeking associate degrees, with enrollment at public two-year institutions falling -10.1%.

• There was also a big difference between returning students and first-time potential students. Overall enrollment at public four-year colleges dipped only slightly (-0.7%). But among first-time students, it dropped -8.1%. At public two-year colleges, it plunged -21%. First-time enrollment among adult learners (over age 24) fell by almost one-third.
• What can we take away from this? It could be that the decline was just a one-time, pandemic-induced blip. Students who otherwise would enroll in a “normal” year postponed their plans. Perhaps they were put off by the idea of college over Zoom, or their economic situation changed. In this case, enrollment will climb again once life resumes.
• But some of these students may not return. Take international students, for instance. Thanks to pandemic fears atop travel and visa restrictions, first-time international student enrollment fell by -43% last fall. Many have probably chosen to attend an institution closer to home instead. There’s also the possibility that more in the class of 2020 will forgo college altogether, which would have major implications for their future revenue.
• So far, only a dozen U.S. colleges have closed or announced that they will close due to enrollment challenges. But given that this is the second consecutive year of declining enrollment, it’s clear that higher ed faces challenges that will outlast the pandemic.