Round-up: First Year Student Fall Enrollment Dips, Overall Enrollment Increases

First year enrollment at private, nonprofit colleges and universities fell 6.5 percent this fall, according to preliminary data released by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.  Total first year enrollment declined by 5 percent, including a 8.5 percent drop at public colleges and universities and .4 decrease at community colleges.

At the same time, overall enrollment at private, nonprofit colleges and university rose 1.4 percent. Both bachelor’s- and associate-degree programs saw enrollment growth (1.9 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively) this fall. There was a 2.1-percent uptick in enrollment in graduate programs. And more students are seeking shorter-term credentials: Enrollment in undergraduate certificate programs increased by 7.3 percent over last year.

The enrollment decline among first year students is the first since the end of the pandemic in 2020 and offers insight into the impact of the Department of Education’s botched rollout of the 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  From technical errors which disrupted students and parents from completing the form to numerous delays in the data transmission to colleges disrupted the admissions and financial-aid process at institutions nationwide.   enrollment cycle was also the first since the U.S. Supreme Court banned the consideration of race in admissions, which injected further uncertainty into this fall’s enrollment equation. Demographic shifts continue to alter the racial and socioeconomic diversity of high-school graduates. And concerns about the cost of college and student debt remain top of mind for many lower-income students.

Despite the substantial decline in freshmen, the center’s new report reveals that undergraduate enrollment is up 3 percent over all — the second straight year that higher education saw an increase (last year’s was up 2.1 percent). This fall’s uptick, Shapiro said, was driven by gains in non-freshman undergraduates and high-school students participating in dual-enrollment programs (who are counted as undergraduates but not as freshmen).

The U.S. Department of Education announced yesterday that 3 percent more students will receive federal student aid this year and 10 percent more students will receive Pell Grant awards.

Below is a selection of news coverage of the preliminary enrollment statistics:

First-Year Enrollments Take a Tumble
Inside Higher Ed (October 23, 2024)

Undergraduate Enrollment Is Up This Fall, But the Number of Freshmen Fell Sharply
The Chronicle of Higher Education (October 23, 2024)

Undergraduate Enrollment Rises 3% Despite Drop in First-Year Students, Early Data Shows
Higher Ed Dive (October 23, 2024)

Freshman Enrollment Appears to Decline for the First Time Since 2020
The New York Times (October 23, 2024)

Colleges Enrolled Fewer Freshmen, First Decline Since the Pandemic
The Washington Post (October 23, 2024)

Fewer High Schoolers Went to College This Fall. It's Unclear Why.
USA Today (October 23, 2024)

College Enrollment Is Up 2.9% Nationwide, But Freshman Numbers Drop
Forbes.com  (October 23, 2024)

Applications to M.B.A. Programs Soar
The Wall Street Journal  (October 23, 2024)