Postsecondary Spring Enrollment Continues Progress Toward Pre-Pandemic Highs

Enrollment Growth This Spring Is Especially Strong at Community Colleges

HERNDON, VA / ACCESS Newswire / May 22, 2025 / The number of students enrolled in undergraduate programs continues to climb toward pre-pandemic highs, while enrollment in graduate programs has surpassed its spring 2020 level, according to a new report on spring enrollment from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

The Current Term Enrollment Estimates Spring 2025 report finds total postsecondary enrollment is at 18.4 million, up 3.2 percent this spring (+562,000) compared to spring 2024. Undergraduate enrollment grew 3.5 percent, reaching 15.3 million but remains below pre-pandemic levels (-2.4%, -378,000). Graduate enrollment also increased 1.5 percent (+46,000 to 3.1 million in spring 2025), now 7.2 percent higher than in 2020.

Community colleges help drive enrollment growth: Undergraduate enrollment increased across major institutional sectors, with community colleges seeing the largest growth (+5.4%, +288,000).

Undergraduate certificate program enrollment increased by 4.8 percent, now 20 percent higher than in 2020, and that growth was driven by community colleges, which accounted for nearly two-thirds of the increase in spring 2025.

“This is great news for community colleges, and especially for those with strong vocational programs,” said Doug Shapiro, Executive Director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. “Four-year colleges can also feel good about higher numbers of undergraduates this spring, but their growth rates are slower.”

Institutions focused on vocational/trade programs see major gains: For the third consecutive year, high vocational public two-years had substantial growth in enrollment (+11.7%, +91,000). Enrollment at these trade-focused institutions increased almost 20 percent since the spring of 2020 (871,000 students) and now comprises 19.4 percent of public two-year enrollment.

First post-pandemic growth for twentysomethings: The number of undergraduate students in their twenties increased this spring (+3.2% for students 21-24 and +5.9% for students 25-29), marking a start of a recovery in spring enrollments after consistent declines since the pandemic.

The Current Term Enrollment Estimates (CTEE) series is published every January and May. It provides national enrollment estimates by credential type, institutional sector, enrollment intensity, age group, gender, major field as well as state-level enrollment estimates. For the complete CTEE Spring 2025 report, visit https://nscresearchcenter.org/current-term-enrollment-estimates/.

About the National Student Clearinghouse^® Research Center™

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center is the research arm of the National Student Clearinghouse. The Research Center collaborates with higher education institutions, states, school districts, high schools, and educational organizations as part of a national effort to better inform education leaders and policymakers. Through accurate longitudinal data outcomes reporting, the Research Center enables better educational policy decisions leading to improved student outcomes. To learn more, visit nscresearchcenter.org.

CONTACT:
National Student Clearinghouse
media@studentclearinghouse.org

SOURCE: National Student Clearinghouse

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