Statewide Iowa — The state’s community colleges saw an increase in enrollment this year for the first time since 2010. The Department of Education’s, Jeremy Varner, says that’s somewhat of a surprise given the state’s low unemployment.
He says the growth is split among the 15 schools.
Varner told the Board of Education this is a preliminary report on the fall and it shows the move away from full-time students continues.
He says they are seeing fewer students who are beyond the 18 to 24 range.
Varner says the highest enrollment comes in one particular area.
Varner says they saw in online enrollment by four percent this fall after having huge surges in online enrollment during the pandemic.
He says the number of high school students who enroll in community college classes is up by more than 44 percent with high school students in that concurrent enrollment making up 45 percent of the students and nearly 29 percent of community college credit hours.
Varner says he will have more details on the makeup of the community college students in January. Iowa Lakes Community College had the largest enrollment increase at eight-point-five percent, followed by Southeastern at six-point-seven percent. Northwest Iowa and Des Moines Area Community College each saw a five-point-four percent increase. Northeast Iowa was up three-point-four percent, Southwestern was up two-point-five percent. Iowa Central was up one percent.
Hawkeye Community College lost the most enrollment, dropping by nearly six percent. Western Iowa Tech dropped by five-point-five percent. Eastern Iowa was down four-point-two percent, Iowa Valley dropped one-point-eight percent, Kirkwood was down one-point-five percent, Iowa Western dropped one percent, Indian Hills dropped seven-tenths of a percent, and North Iowa Area dropped one-tenth of one percent.
