College Enrollment Continues to Decline.

Undergraduate enrollment continued to decline compared to 2021, but the decline has slowed to pre-pandemic rates, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, Herndon, Va. Total undergraduate and graduate enrollment combined decreased 1.1% over last fall, leading to a two-year drop of 3.2% since 2020. The total rate of decline has slowed by almost half since last year when it dipped 2.1% and one-third since fall 2020's 3.4% loss.

Undergraduate enrollment declines this fall are evident across all sectors, especially among four-year institutions, with a drop of 1.6% at public four-years; 0.9% at private nonprofits; and 2.5% at private forprofits. Declines at community colleges have slowed, with only a 0.4% enrollment loss compared to fall 2021, driven by an 11.5% jump in dual-enrolled high school students.

"After two straight years of historically large losses, it is particularly troubling that numbers are still falling, especially among freshman," says Doug Shapiro, executive director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. "Although the decline has slowed and there are some bright spots, a path back to pre-pandemic enrollment levels is growing further out of reach."

The 18- to 20-year-old age group grew at community colleges by 1.4%, with an increase in traditionalage freshman making up about one-third of the climb. Total freshman enrollment at community colleges appears to have stabilized for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

However, freshman enrollment declined by 1.5% overall. Freshman numbers declined in all four-year sectors, led by private nonprofits dropping 3.1%, publics declining 2.4%, and private for-profits losing 0.9%. Highly selective institutions saw the largest freshman declines this fall of 5.6% compared to a 10.7% gain in fall 2021. Meanwhile, community colleges saw a 0.9% increase this fall, driving...