More students are taking classes at Ohio’s largest community colleges this fall compared to the same time last year, a welcome boost as higher education confronts challenges that include a shrinking state population and increased political pressures.
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College’s enrollment sits at 10,701 students, or a 10% increase. Dayton’s Sinclair Community College is seeing 7% more students, bringing its enrollment to 20,471. Those figures both come from preliminary data recently shared by the Ohio Department of Higher Education.
Columbus State Community College saw an 8% year-over-year increase, bringing its total enrollment to 30,488 students, according to data the school shared with Signal Ohio.
Data provided by other institutions shows more modest year-over-year rises.
Cuyahoga Community College reports a total enrollment of 17,993, nearly a 1% uptick. Lorain County Community College’s total enrollment increased 3% to 9,733 students. Stark State College’s total enrollment came in at 10,534, about a 1% increase.
Most of Ohio’s community college students attend one of these six institutions, though the state has 22 two-year public colleges.
National data shows certificates, health programs driving community college growth
Ohio’s increases mirror national trends. Early data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center shows two-year public colleges across the country are reporting a 4% uptick in students this fall compared to the same time last year. That’s bigger than the growth seen by public and private four-year universities.
The Clearinghouse’s national findings pointed to several potential drivers for the increase. More students are enrolled in certificate programs, which have long been a cornerstone of community colleges’ offerings. There’s also more interest in health, automotive technology and engineering programs.
That all aligns with what’s happening at Stark State, according to the college’s vice president of enrollment management, Rich Greene. Like most community colleges, Greene said the school is well-attuned to local workforce needs. Health care and manufacturing are among Stark County’s leading industries.
“The Northeast Ohio labor market is driving a lot of interest towards short-term certification programs,” he said.
This marks the fourth consecutive fall semester of enrollment increases for two-year schools nationwide. Community college enrollments took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, which disproportionately affected women and/or people of color. Those two groups comprise the majority of community college students.