The college enrollment drop is finally letting up. That's the good news
The bad news: Colleges are still seeing enrollment declines, and they haven't made up any ground after the pandemic's dramatic drops.
Undergraduate college enrollment is continuing its years-long decline, though at a much less drastic rate than during the pandemic. According to preliminary data released Thursday, U.S. colleges and universities saw a drop of just 1.1% of undergraduate students between the fall of 2021 and 2022. This follows a historic decline that began in the fall of 2020; over two years, more than 1 million fewer students enrolled in college.
