New community college enrollment numbers in Illinois reflect, in general, what’s happening nationally at community colleges: pockets of promising upticks at some schools, but overall enrollment continues to slide. However, efforts to improve student success are yielding positive results.
Eight of the 48 colleges in the state’s 39 community college districts saw increases in headcount enrollment, with four colleges seeing steady enrollment, according to the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB). However, the total fall enrollment this year is down 4.2 percent compared to last year.
Systemwide, 271,426 students enrolled at community colleges in credit coursework in fall 2019, ICCB reported. The number of students enrolling in credit courses at the end of regular registration for fall 2019 is 11,989 fewer than last fall.
Between 2015 and 2019, the system has seen a 14.1 percent drop in headcount enrollment.
As in many states, the enrollment declines are mainly among adult students ages 25 and older, ICCB said, noting that this population of students, in particular, sees declines during a strong economy, as many potential adult students opt to work. Illinois has the third largest community college system in the country, with its colleges serving more than 600,000 residents each year in credit, noncredit and continuing education courses.
According to the system’s 2019 Illinois Report Card, 75 percent of high school graduates are enrolling in higher education, with 43 percent enrolling at a community college and 32 percent at a four-year college or university.
Good signs for student success
Despite declines in enrollment, Illinois community colleges continue to show improvements in student success. Over the last five years, the percentage of full-time, first-time enrolled students at a community college who graduate, transfer to another institution, or remain enrolled and pursuing a degree has hit 63 percent, according to ICCB. The number of graduates increased considerably since 2001 and 2006. Approximately 66,000 student completions occurred in 2019, compared to 38,420 in 2001 and 49,627 in 2006.
“Community colleges are working extremely hard to make sure that every student who comes through the door makes it not only to the first day of class but also to graduation and successful transfer to a four-year institution or entry into the workforce,” ICCB Executive Director Brian Durham said in a press release.
The improvements in student success are driven, in part, by the system’s focus on transitioning students into college-level coursework and reforming the delivery of developmental education for students not yet ready for college-level work, he said.
Online enrollments up
Despite the overall drop in enrollment, fall-to-fall online enrollment has seen an increase, according to ICCB. Duplicated online headcount enrollment for fall 2019 increased 2.4 percent (2,531 students) to 106,633 students, while unduplicated online enrollment increased 0.8 percent (502 more students) to 65,925. Based on unduplicated beginning-of-term counts, fall 2019 online headcount enrollment (unduplicated) accounted for 24.3 percent of overall headcount enrollment, which is a 23.1 increase from last year, the board said.
