Changes in college enrollment during the pandemic

The financial situations of many potential college students have been affected by rising college tuition costs, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a problematic FAFSA rollout. According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, there was a 1.2% increase in enrollment numbers for the 2023-2024 academic year after a few years of decline, remaining below the pre-pandemic level of 16 million.

As the impact of tuition costs on upcoming semester enrollments is still unknown, some students have already opted out of college due to the financial aid issues.

Recent trends in undergraduate enrollment have been studied by USA TODAY to determine who has been attending college over the past decade, the popular fields of study, and the pandemic’s effect on enrollment.

Here is a summary of the changes in college enrollment:

College enrollment surge in 2023

In fall 2023, undergraduate enrollment saw an increase of approximately 176,000 students, as detailed in a report by the National Student Clearinghouse earlier this year, showing a 1.2% rise from the previous fall.

The 2023-2024 academic year witnessed around 15.2 million undergraduate students enrolled in college, with the most substantial growth observed at community colleges, adding 118,000 students. Private for-profit colleges also noted an increase in enrollments.

The Department of Education is yet to release its data on the total undergraduate enrollment for Fall 2023.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, four-year universities and two-year colleges have seen significant declines in undergraduate enrollment, with numbers dropping by 15% between 2010 and 2021, as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics.

Characteristics of College Enrollees

According to the Education Department, women constituted almost 60% of all college students enrolling in Fall 2022, marking an increase from 56.6% eight years before. The gender gap in college enrollment has widened over the years, with women consistently outnumbering men.

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College enrollment by field of study

The top three fields of study for students graduating with an associate or bachelor’s degree were business, health professions, and related programs, according to the Education Department.

Over the past decade, business has been the most prevalent degree awarded to graduating students.

In the 2021-2022 academic year, the most common bachelor’s degrees by field of study were as follows:

• 18.2% in business
• 12.9% in health professions and related studies
• 7.7% in social sciences and history
• 6.1% in psychology
• 6.3% in biological and biomedical sciences

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Reasons for the Decline in College Enrollment

Many potential students find college tuition unaffordable, with the cost nearly double what their parents paid for an undergraduate education two decades ago.

According to the Education Data Initiative, the average cost of tuition and fees at public four-year institutions has surged by 179.2% over the last twenty years.

Simultaneously, difficulties in applying for financial aid have disrupted the college decision-making process and affected many students’ lives. Reports from USA TODAY highlighted how FAFSA form delays and technical issues left economically disadvantaged students scrambling for financial aid, putting their college aspirations at risk.