Is the number of college students decreasing?

College enrollment among young Americans has been declining gradually over the past decade. In 2022, the total number of 18- to 24-year-olds enrolled in college was down by approximately 1.2 million from its peak in 2011. Most of the decline is due to fewer young men pursuing college.

Are college enrollments declining?

In the past decade, total college enrollment has dropped by nearly 1.5 million students, or by about 7.4%. The undergraduate college enrollment decline has accelerated since the pandemic began, resulting in a loss of over 900,000 students, or almost 6% of total enrollment, between fall 2019 and fall 2023.

Are less people going to college 2023?

HERNDON, VA – (JANUARY 24, 2024) – Undergraduate enrollment grew 1.2 percent (+176,000) in the fall of 2023, the first increase since the pandemic, according to the National Student Clearinghouse's latest research.

What is the college enrollment trend in 2023?

Current Term Enrollment Estimates: Fall 2023

Undergraduate enrollment grew 1.2 percent (+176,000) in fall 2023, the first increase since the pandemic. Among the three largest sectors, growth was highest at community colleges, which gained 118,000 students (+2.6%) after steep declines during the pandemic.

Is the number of college students increasing?

While the growth is uneven, the total number of students increased by about 5% in the 2022-23 academic year compared to the year prior, according to data from the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office.

By the Numbers: College enrollment on the decline

Why is college enrollment dropping?

The system is continuing to project that it will be 7% below its state-funded target of 383,680 for resident students during the 2022-23 academic year — that's more than 25,000 full-time equivalent students. The decreases are due to the effects of the pandemic and long-term declining birth rates.

Are college applications increasing or decreasing?

Both public and private colleges drew more first-year applicants than the prior year, though publics experienced more growth. In 2023-24, applications to publics rose 14% year over year, compared to 10% among private institutions.

What is the college enrollment trend in the US?

College Enrollment Trends Over the Years

In 2021, 61.8% of recent high school graduates ages 16-24 enrolled in college. The U.S. experienced a college enrollment decline during the COVID-19 pandemic. Total college enrollment (graduate and undergraduate) fell 4% from fall 2019 to fall 2023.

Why is Gen Z not going to college?

Many Gen Zers don't see the value in a higher education anymore. A BI/YouGov survey found just 39% of them think advancing their education is important. Experts said student debt, and availability of jobs that don't require degrees, will force colleges to adjust.

Are college dropouts increasing?

Data from the study shows that nationally 32.9% of undergraduates drop out of college before completing their degree program. California residents are “46.5% more likely” to drop out of college compared to the average U.S. resident, according to the study.

Who is less likely to go to college?

Men are less likely to enroll in college than women and have been for the last two decades, according to the Pew Research Center. Only 36% of men ages 25-34 surveyed in 2021 had a college degree, compared to 46% of women. Area college enrollment numbers follow this trend.

Are bachelor's degrees depreciating?

The value of a college degree has gone down due to the vast increase in the number of workers who possess degrees. This form of debasement mimics the effect of printing more money. Following the Law of Supply and Demand, the greater the quantity of a commodity, the lower the value.

What is the crisis in higher education 2023?

Crisis in Student Debt and Institutional Finance

2023 was marked by substantial financial challenges within higher education. Student debt, a key concern, reached approximately $1.7 trillion, with some reduction anticipated due to forgiveness measures.

Are colleges hurting for students?

Enrollment declines and underfunding have hit the higher education system hard. Post-pandemic, a number of colleges are in financial jeopardy. Deep cuts in state funding for higher education have pushed more of the costs on to students and paved the way for significant tuition increases.

Is the number of Americans getting a college degree increasing?

A greater percentage of Americans obtained degrees across degree types in 2021 when compared to 2011, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's educational attainment data. The number of people with a bachelor's degree or higher increased by 7.5 percentage points in this time frame.

What percent of Americans have a college degree?

The percentage of adults in the U. S. between the ages of 25 to 64 with college degrees, certificates, or industry-recognized certifications, has increased from 37.9% in 2009 to 53.7% in 2021, a gain of nearly 16 percentage points.

What is the enrollment cliff?

By now, you no doubt know what awaits most of higher education: a significant multiyear decline in the number of traditional-age college students. It's a trend that's become so well known it's been given its own shorthand — the enrollment or demographic cliff.

What is the number one hardest college to get into?

Niche, a ranking and review site, recently published its list of the “2023 Hardest Colleges to Get Into.” Using data from the U.S. Department of Education on various colleges' acceptance rates and SAT/ACT scores, they found, unsurprisingly, Harvard University to be the most difficult college to get into.

What is the easiest highly ranked college to get into?

What is considered a average GPA?

The average high school GPA is around 3.0, or a B average. This also happens to be the minimum requirement for many college scholarships, though a 3.5 or higher is generally preferable.

What is the top 1 university in US?

Has it gotten harder to get into college?

Because class sizes have been static, acceptance rates are plummeting. Harvard's acceptance rate, for example, fell to 3.19% in 2022 — the lowest in the school's history — and was steady last year at 3.45%. It's not just Ivy League universities seeing competition rise.