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Overall enrollment is up about 3% from last fall, but the increase is due to an 8% increase in community college enrollment.
An aerial view of Campus Pond and the WEB Du Bois Library at the University of Massachusetts Amherst on April 30, 2020. Blake Nissen/For The Boston Globe
After nearly a decade of declining student enrollment across Massachusetts’ entire public college system, numbers are up for the first time since 2013, according to new data from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education.
Overall enrollment is up nearly 3% from last fall. But this increase is only due to an 8% increase in the number of community college students; The UMass system and four-year public schools did not increase enrollment this year.
Overall, there are more than 4,000 additional students compared to last year.
Numbers of first-time and transfer students are also on the rise after falling significantly during the pandemic. After a less than 1% increase last year, there has been a 5% rebound in this population across the three systems since the start of the pandemic, with 12% at community colleges and about 3% at public schools.
The Ministry of Higher Education said this data is a “first look” at this fall’s numbers. Early next year, the department will confirm the data, along with more information on job retention, age, race, and the impact of state programs.
Is free community college driving the increase?
All three branches of public colleges were impacted by their student numbers in 2020, especially community colleges, with an 11% decline. In the next two years, enrollment declined by 4% each year again. Now, they’ve rebounded in a big way.
Gov. Maura Healey announced a plan earlier this year to make community college free for any resident over 25 without a college degree through MassReconnect, a $20 million initiative. Haley also provided $100,000 to each community college to support their implementation this fall.
Massachusetts has 15 community colleges. Each campus saw an increase in the number of students enrolled this year, according to the Ministry of Higher Education.
The initiative is also supported by $18 million in community college nursing scholarships.
According to a Boston.com poll of more than 400 readers, a majority (86%) showed support for the program, and a majority (73%) of readers who said they were eligible said they would participate in the program.
Adult school enrollment, which includes students aged 25 and over, has been declining for a decade, with a decline of more than 10% in the past year. Additional data released early next year will confirm whether MassReconnect’s free community college initiative is the driving factor behind recent increases in enrollment.
Education Minister Patrick Tutwiler said this was a “turn of the tide”.
“This enrollment data supports the anecdotes I have heard from students, faculty, staff and families across the commonwealth,” Tutwiler said in a press release about the new data. “Students are already taking advantage of the historic new opportunities available to them under the Healey-Driscoll administration.”
UMass and public schools
Both the UMass school system and all public schools reported declines of 1% or less in enrollment this year.
UMass, which has five campuses, had steadily increased enrollment throughout the 2000s before the pandemic. After a 3% decline in 2020, enrollment has not trended positively since then.
The public school system, including six schools and three specialized colleges, has seen enrollment decline since 2014. After declines of 7% in both 2020 and 2021, public schools reduced enrollment this year by just 0.6%.
Last month, Haley announced $62 million in new financial aid for public school students. Nearly 25,000 students will receive free or reduced tuition through MASSGrant Plus Expansion. The funds will be applied retroactive to the fall of 2023.
“Our administration is thrilled to hear that our efforts to expand access to higher education are paying off,” Healey said in a statement about the new data.
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In a positive turn of events, public colleges in Massachusetts have experienced a notable increase in enrollment for the first time since 2013. This welcome trend is a significant milestone for the state’s higher education system, signaling a potential shift in the trajectory of college attendance. With more students opting for public institutions, this uptick in enrollment is not only a testament to the value of these colleges but also a promising indicator for the accessibility and affordability of higher education in Massachusetts.