Despite Tampa Bay K-12 schools seeing a steep enrollment decline this fall, a preliminary report from a national nonprofit projected Florida’s college enrollment to increase for the third straight year.
Published Tuesday, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s Preliminary Fall Enrollment Trends report found that the nation’s college and university enrollment increased by 2% this fall semester compared to last fall, with undergraduate enrollment leading the way at 2.4%.
Florida, though, is projected to outpace national gains with a 3% increase across the board.
The report came days after the U.S. News and World Report named Florida the sixth best state to live in, ranking it No. 2 for education and No. 1 for higher education.
The study found shorter-term and trade programs are at the forefront of enrollment increases, growing 4% nationally — more than double the growth seen at public four-year universities and more than four times the growth at private schools.
Those pursuing undergraduate certificates saw the most dramatic increase, rising by 6.6%. Associate programs saw a 3.1% increase, compared to 1.2% for bachelor’s degrees.
While the report found graduate program enrollment nationwide stabilizing, Florida saw a 3.2% increase.
Report researchers described this fall’s preliminary numbers as portraying a “higher education landscape in cautious recovery.”
Business and health-related enrollmentgrew across all institution levels. Trade-oriented fields like engineering and mechanical repair saw clear rises among two-year institutions, growing 8.3% and 10.4%, respectively.
The increase didn’t hold for all disciplines.
Computer and information science enrollment plummeted 15% across graduate programs, nearly 8% in four-year undergraduate programs and nearly 6% at two-year undergraduate programs.
The AI factor
Part of the reason for the decrease in computer science majors could be due to an increased emphasis on incorporating artificial intelligence in the workplace, leading to some AI-related layoffs in technology sectors.
A poll conducted by Reuters and Iposis earlier this year found more than 70% of respondents were concerned that AI would be “putting too many people out of work permanently.” Respondents were split on whether AI would improve education, with only around 36% thinking it would help and 40% disagreeing.
Despite this, the White House is prioritizing incorporating AI into higher education.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Education announced seven priorities forits Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education program, with $60 million allocated to artificial intelligence.
Matthew Holsapple, the clearinghouse’s senior director of research, acknowledged that the proliferation of AI in the technology world, and its potential challenges, could influence student decisions post-high school.
“(Researchers) have seen the same news reports that you all have seen about challenges in the field,” he told reporters Monday. “I assume students are also seeing that, and they’re using that kind of information to make their decisions.”
The fund, a key higher education grant overseen by the Office of Postsecondary Education, was created in 1972 to “improve postsecondary educational opportunities.” Each presidential administration sets its own priorities to determine winners, ranging from nonprofit agencies to educational institutions.
In addition to AI, the fund’s priorities include encouraging accreditation reform, building high-quality short-term programs and promoting and protecting civic discourse on campuses.