Fewer US students are going to college
Image: Ruobing Su/Business Insider
College and university enrollment in America declined for the third straight year in fall 2022, according to a report published yesterday by the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC).
🎓🔢 By the numbers… The NSC collected data on 10.3 million undergraduate and graduate students, comprising roughly half of the group’s total US population.
Overall, the NSC found enrollment fell 1.1% from 2021, smaller than last year’s annual decrease of 3.3%. There are currently ~1.5 million fewer US college students compared to before the pandemic, representing a ~7% dip.
- Annual declines in enrollment for fall 2022 were seen across all types of schools, but especially at four-year undergraduate institutions (-1.6% at public schools | -2.5% at private for-profits).
- Community colleges were the least affected (-0.4%), thanks to a large jump among dual-enrolled high school students (+11.5%).
- Freshmen undergrad enrollment fell 1.5% across the board, led by a 5.6% drop at “highly selective” institutions – which saw a 10.7% annual gain in freshman last fall.
🇺🇸📉 Big picture: University enrollment had been gradually sinking for a decade prior to the pandemic, with its pace accelerating during the first two years of Covid.
📊 Flash poll (long-form): In your opinion, why is US college and university enrollment on the decline?
See a 360° view of what the media is saying →
Sprinkles from the Left
- Some commentators on the left argue that unprecedented high tuition costs, the cutting of liberal arts disciplines, and rise in credentialism have resulted in fewer students pursuing higher education.
- Others contend that attending college comes at an enormous cost and the likelihood of long-held debt, so it’s no wonder that more students are finding alternative routes to the workplace.
- “Let’s Subsidize Intellectual Curiosity Again” –Nicole Barbaro, Inside Higher Ed
- “Is college serving its purpose today?” –Eric J. Gertler, AM New York
- “How the pandemic is changing higher education for the better” –Stephen & Eileen Strempel, LA Times
Sprinkles from the Right
- Some commentators on the right argue that college degrees do not teach enough utilitarian workforce skills, encouraging students to apply for trade-oriented programs and scholarships.
- Others contend that political polarization and bias have discouraged students from pursuing a college education.
- “Why Republicans Should Not Run Away from Higher Education” –Samuel J. Abrams, American Enterprise Institute
- “That college degree is no longer the only path to achieving the American Dream” –Kerry Healey, World Newsera
- “More Skipping College Today, What Will that Mean for Tomorrow?” –As We Work (WSJ)
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