Community College Student Enrollment Declines Due to Pandemic

December 11, 2020

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Title: Behind the Enrollment Numbers: How COVID-19 Has Changed Students’ Plans for Community College

Author: Clive Belfield and Thomas Brock

Source: Community College Research Center

A recent essay from the Community College Research Center (CCRC) notes that the pandemic tremendously impacted enrollment at community colleges. The authors analyzed results out of a random selection of 100,000 individuals who completed the U.S. Census Bureau’s surveys related to COVID-19. Participants reported on “plans for community college” for at least one member of their household from August to mid-October 2020. Major findings from the analysis include:

Community colleges tend to represent more minority students and marginalized groups who face disproportionate impact across U.S. education, healthcare, and legal systems.
More than 40 percent of households who responded shared that a prospective student is cancelling their plan to enroll in a community college.
Fifteen percent noted a change in course taking, with some taking lighter course loads or switching programs.
Almost 40 percent of current community college students reported that losing their job negatively impacted their educational plans.
Households with students at community colleges were nearly twice as likely as households with students of four-year colleges to report that COVID-19 had changed their educational plans.

More in-depth information can be found in the U.S. Census Bureau survey and the CCRC essay.

—Ángel Gonzalez

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