> Skip to content
FEATURED:
  • Student Success Resource Center
Sign In
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
Sign In
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
Sign In
ADVERTISEMENT
Community Colleges
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Show more sharing options
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Copy Link URLCopied!
  • Print

Enrollment at Community Colleges Is Stabilizing. The Growing Presence of High-School Students Is Why.

By  Audrey Williams June
March 30, 2023

High-school students taking college courses for credit helped to fuel an increase in community-college enrollment this spring — and brought attention to the outsize role dual-enrollment students have played in the health of the higher-ed sector that’s been most beleaguered by the pandemic.

The number of dual-enrollment students jumped nearly 13 percent from a year earlier, according to preliminary data in the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s most recent spring enrollment report. The subsequent increase in attendance at community colleges was 2.1 percent from a year earlier, the center said.

We’re sorry. Something went wrong.

We are unable to fully display the content of this page.

The most likely cause of this is a content blocker on your computer or network. Please make sure your computer, VPN, or network allows javascript and allows content to be delivered from c950.chronicle.com and chronicle.blueconic.net.

Once javascript and access to those URLs are allowed, please refresh this page. You may then be asked to log in, create an account if you don't already have one, or subscribe.

If you continue to experience issues, contact us at 202-466-1032 or help@chronicle.com

High-school students who are taking college courses for credit helped fuel an increase in community-college enrollment this spring — and brought attention to the outsize role dual-enrollment students have played in the health of the higher-ed sector that’s been most beleaguered by the pandemic.

The number of dual-enrollment students jumped nearly 13 percent from a year earlier, according to preliminary data in the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s most recent spring enrollment report. The subsequent increase in attendance at community colleges was 2.1 percent from a year earlier, the center said.

While the larger trend in enrollment at public two-year colleges has been one of steady decline in recent years, the number of high-school students in dual-enrollment programs has been growing — even before the pandemic began. According to the Community College Research Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College, nearly one in five community-college students in the fall of 2021 was a high-schooler.

Students who get a head start on acquiring college credits are more likely to go on to earn a college degree, the research shows. But what else do the data say about dual-enrollment programs or the students enrolled in them at community colleges?

ADVERTISEMENT

The number of dual-enrollment students at community colleges has nearly doubled in a decade.

rule line


High-school students have made up an increasingly large share of community-college enrollment in recent years.

rule line

In 15 states, high-school students make up more than a quarter of community-college enrollment.

ADVERTISEMENT

rule line

Funding structures for dual-enrollment programs vary widely by state.

A version of this article appeared in the April 14, 2023, issue.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
DataCommunity Colleges
Audrey Williams June
Audrey Williams June is the news-data manager at The Chronicle. She explores and analyzes data sets, databases, and records to uncover higher-education trends, insights, and stories. Email her at audrey.june@chronicle.com, or follow her on Twitter @audreywjune.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Explore
    • Get Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Professional Development
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Find a Job
    Explore
    • Get Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Professional Development
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Find a Job
  • The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • DEI Commitment Statement
    • Write for Us
    • Talk to Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • User Agreement
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Site Map
    • Accessibility Statement
    The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • DEI Commitment Statement
    • Write for Us
    • Talk to Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • User Agreement
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Site Map
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Customer Assistance
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Post a Job
    • Advertising Terms and Conditions
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
    Customer Assistance
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Post a Job
    • Advertising Terms and Conditions
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Subscribe
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Manage Your Account
    Subscribe
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Manage Your Account
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2023 The Chronicle of Higher Education
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin