The number of students attending the state’s community colleges rose in the fall semester, leading to the first increase in enrollment at Massachusetts public colleges and universities in a decade, officials announced Tuesday.
There were 152,739 undergraduates enrolled this fall at state universities, UMass schools and community colleges, a 2.9% increase compared with fall 2022, according to new Department of Higher Education data.
While the jump marks the first time the university’s total enrollment has been higher than the previous year since 2013, the trend has not been universal across all campuses. Undergraduate enrollment fell 1% on UMass campuses and 0.6% at public universities from fall 2022 to fall 2023, though officials said the decline at public universities was more subdued than in recent years.
The data suggests that the largest one-year increase — 8% — at community colleges drove the overall trend higher. Each of the state’s 15 community colleges has seen some growth in enrollment, officials said.
Lawmakers and Gov. Maura Healey have embraced using state funds to make higher education more affordable, starting with community colleges. The state’s fiscal year 2024 budget allocates $20 million to cover any unrecovered community college costs for students age 25 or older without a college degree.
Haley said in a statement Tuesday that her team is “thrilled to hear that our efforts to expand access to higher education are paying off.”
“These enrollment data support the stories I’ve heard from students, faculty, staff and families across the commonwealth – where students are already taking advantage of the historic new opportunities available to them under the Haley-Driscoll administration,” Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler said. “It is great to see this turning of the tides in enrollment at our public institutions of higher education, and great to consider the new perspective, energy and skills that these additional students will bring to these institutions, their communities and our state.”
Enrollment rates had been declining for nearly a decade before the recent tremor, driven by demographic changes and apparent wariness among some students in shouldering the increasing costs of earning a degree.
Fall 2023 enrollment is still about 44,000 students, or 22%, lower than enrollment in the fall 2013 semester, the last time the trend was still moving upward.
Officials plan to release more detailed data early next year on students’ race, ethnicity, gender, age and other demographic factors that influence enrollment. They also said they “will share more information about the impact of MassReconnect and other new enrollment programs” in 2024.
“Today’s enrollment report is good news, but it represents only a first step. The Department remains committed to ensuring that all students enrolled in college complete their education,” Higher Education Commissioner Noe Ortega said. “Post-secondary success remains the north star for the department.”
On the day the Healey administration announced the school enrollment trend, supporters of the bill that would invest heavily in higher education announced a new campaign to rally support for the so-called “SHERICH Act.”
The ads will hit the airwaves throughout December, and will feature professors at public colleges and universities in Massachusetts discussing how the bill’s provisions can help students and faculty.
“The high cost of college makes it difficult for many of my students to complete their studies on time, delaying their ability to access the good-paying jobs they need to support their families,” Phyllis Keenan, a mathematics professor at Greenfield Community College, said in one of the new ads. “The CHERISH Act can fix this by providing debt-free higher education.”
The ads are sponsored by the Massachusetts Teachers Association, which has thrown its weight behind the bill. Asked on Tuesday about the cost of the campaign, a company spokesman said it was a “large sum” but did not reveal the exact price.
The CHERISH Act aims to support debt-free higher education, starting in fiscal year 2024 with a debt-free community college. It would also ensure eligibility for government health care and retirement benefits for part-time faculty and staff, establish minimum funding levels for public higher education phased in over five years and prohibit increases in tuition and fees during this implementation.
In recent years, community colleges have experienced a significant increase in enrollment, and one of the driving factors behind this trend is the implementation of free education for individuals aged 25 and older. This new policy has opened up opportunities for countless individuals to pursue higher education and vocational training without the burden of tuition costs. As a result, community colleges have become an increasingly attractive option for non-traditional students looking to improve their skills, further their education, or make a career change. The surge in enrollment at community colleges has sparked a renewed interest in the importance of accessible and affordable education, and is creating a positive impact on the lives of adult learners across the country.