Undergraduate enrollment up nearly 5%, slightly below 2019 levels; Freshman enrollment up 5.5%

HERNDON, VA / ACCESS Newswire / January 23, 2025 / This past fall, total postsecondary enrollment rebounded above pre-Covid levels, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Freshman enrollment grew 5.5% this fall (130,000), particularly at community colleges, which added 63,000 freshmen (+7.1%).

"It is encouraging to see the total number of postsecondary students rising above the pre-pandemic level for the first time this fall," said Doug Shapiro, Executive Director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. "It is also promising that freshman enrollment increased this fall -- the growth is driven by older first-year students, as 18-year-olds are still below their 2019 numbers."

Shapiro released a statement last week announcing that the preliminary freshman enrollment research released by the Research Center in October contained a methodological error. You can read that statement here.

The Current Term Enrollment Estimates (CTEE) report showed that total postsecondary enrollment is up 4.5% this fall (+817,000); undergraduate enrollment neared 16 million, just 1.0% below 2019 levels (+4.7%, +716,000 this fall), and graduate enrollment grew to 3.2 million (+3.3%, +100,000).

Additional highlights of the report include:

• Undergraduate enrollment increased across sectors with community colleges (public 2-year and public PABs combined) in particular, seeing a 5.9% increase, or 325,000 additional students.

• Undergraduate certificate program enrollment grew for the fourth consecutive year, up 9.9% in fall 2024 (+101,000) and enrollments are now 28.5% above 2019 levels. Enrollment in bachelor's and associate degree programs also increased (+2.9% and +6.3%, respectively) but remain below 2019 levels.

• Freshman enrollment grew 5.5% this fall (+130,000). Building on last fall's increases, the growth was strongest at community colleges, which added 63,000 freshmen (+7.1%). Overall, 18-year-old freshmen also saw enrollment gains this fall (+3.4%, +59,000).

• Public 2-year institutions with high vocational program focus saw double-digit growth for the second year in a row (+13.6%). These schools now encompass 19.5% of public 2-year enrollment, up from 15.3% in 2019.

• Enrollment increased across all regions this fall. Institutions in the Northeast saw a 4.7% increase, the first gains since prior to the pandemic. The South (+4.7%) and West (+4.6%) saw similar gains, followed by the Midwest (+3.1%).

The Current Term Enrollment Estimates (CTEE) series is published every January and May. It provides national enrollment estimates by credential type, institutional sector, enrollment intensity, age group, gender, major field as well as state-level enrollment estimates. For the complete CTEE Fall 2025 report, visit https://nscresearchcenter.org/current-term-enrollment-estimates/

About the National Student Clearinghouse^® Research Center™

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center is the research arm of the National Student Clearinghouse. The Research Center collaborates with higher education institutions, states, school districts, high schools, and educational organizations as part of a national effort to better inform education leaders and policymakers. Through accurate longitudinal data outcomes reporting, the Research Center enables better educational policy decisions leading to improved student outcomes. To learn more, visit nscresearchcenter.org.

Contact:

media@studentclearinghouse.org

SOURCE: National Student Clearinghouse