Sheldon, Iowa — The pandemic and the tight labor market are cited as two of the main causes for a drop in community college enrollment in Iowa, while Northwest Iowa Community College was one of the state’s community colleges to see an INCREASE in enrollment.
The Iowa Department of Education’s Community College administrator Jeremy Varner.
Varner says it wasn’t an across the board drop.
Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon saw a two-point-two percent INCREASE in enrollment. Iowa Central Community College in Ft. Dodge had the highest increase, at nine-point-eight percent. Other Iowa Community Colleges gaining enrollment include Eastern Iowa up five-point-four percent, Kirkwood up two-point-seven percent, Western Iowa Tech up one-point-seven percent, Southwestern up two-point-six percent, Indian Hills up three-point-two percent, and Southeastern enrollment increased by two-point-seven percent.
The Des Moines Area Community College saw the largest decrease in students at around 11 percent, followed by North Iowa Area at a seven-point-four percent drop. Iowa Lakes held steady. Other enrollment drops saw Northeast Iowa down point-one percent, Iowa Valley down two-point-eight percent, Iowa Western down one-point-seven percent.
Varner says the economy and job market have a big influence.
He says a decline in high school graduates deciding to go to college also plays into the enrollment issue. They track that by the number of high school students who sign up for the free college aid availability assessment.
One change saw a drop in female enrollment.
Female students still make up 56-point-five percent of community college students, while males moved up to 43-point-five percent.
