Community college enrollment inches upward
Californians are increasingly returning to the state's community colleges. After nearly three years of a sustained enrollment freefall, the 116 community colleges are educating roughly 2% more students in fall 2022 compared to the previous fall, when the schools enrolled about 1.3 million students, according to new preliminary headcounts the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office shared with CalMatters Tuesday. Two campuses have yet to finalize their latest numbers, so a final statewide total is unavailable.
Overall, the colleges are still roughly 250,000 students short of fall 2019 levels, but the enrollment collapse since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be plateauing.
Progress is uneven: While 69 colleges showed positive growth compared to fall 2021 — and 45 posted enrollment gains of 5% or more — 48 colleges or campus centers shed students, according to a CalMatters analysis of community college system data. A small cadre of campuses have actually exceeded their 2019 enrollment levels — seven in total. And even when students enroll, historically about a third leave after a term. • Interim Chancellor Daisy Gonzales, at a Tuesday legislative hearing: “That is a really big improvement from the prior year and it took a lot of hard work.”
So what's aiding the bounce-back? Campuses have shortened the length of some courses from 10 weeks to 6 weeks, “getting them to the workforce much faster,” Gonzales told lawmakers.
Other campuses extended evening operations to 9 p.m. or later and added weekend courses. And while the University of California and Cal State systems have returned to in-person learning, many community college courses remain online in response to student survey data.
Expanded financial aid and other social benefits also moved the needle, Gonzales said, including emergency housing and childcare support. Indeed, the community colleges have seen a surge of new local, state and federal money — $1.8 billion more since 2020-21 — including $270 million in efforts to re-enroll students and attract new ones.
Still, Gonzales argued the system needs more support for its students, many who live in deep poverty. But one key lawmaker said the colleges should be doing more to get back students. • Assemblymember Phil Ting, a Democrat from San Francisco, who leads the Assembly’s budget committee: “What I heard is all these things you’re asking of us; I’m trying to get a better sense of what you’re all doing so that you’re driving enrollment back up.”