Yavapai Community College had a 10% fall enrollment decline; state universities as a whole had an enrollment increase this fall primarily because of online classes with only NAU seeing fewer students
According to an article written by Rachel Leingang in the December 1, 2020 Arizona Republic, enrollment at the Maricopa Community Colleges dropped this fall by 14.5% when compared to last fall. The Maricopa Community Colleges have seen steadily declining enrollment since 2010.
The 14.5% drop is compared to the 10% drop in fall enrollment experienced by Yavapai Community College. Enrollment in community colleges nationwide fall enrollment fell by 9.5% this year, according to the the National Student Clearinghouse. https://nscresearchcenter.org/stay-informed/ First-time freshmen, in particular, declined nearly 19% at community colleges nationally.
Maricopa Chancellor Steven Gonzales speculated on the causes of the decline during an interview with Ms. Leingang. He said that private and for-profit programs that credential students have provided increased competition. According to Gonzales, they often spend more on marketing and recruiting students and provide more hands-on support.
He also said that some students may be delaying college because they worry for their health and safety and because they want a classroom experience that they will learn best in. Furthermore, “If you’re going to put college versus ensuring you have a place to stay and eat, and you need to go find a job as quickly as possible to just make those ends meet, you’re probably not going to choose college right now.”
It appears that students who are Native American, Black and Hispanic experienced an even larger enrollment decline in the fall. This may be because the pandemic and its resulting economic downturn have more profoundly affected people of color.
Enrollment at each college, provided by the Maricopa Community Colleges’ Office of Institutional Effectiveness to the Arizona Republic, appears below:
- Chandler-Gilbert Community College: 13,395 this fall compared to 15,585 last fall, a decline of 14.1%
- Estrella Mountain Community College: 8,768 this fall compared to 10,120 last fall, a decline of 13.4%
- Glendale Community College: 14,374 this fall compared to 18,054 last fall, a decline of 20.4%
- GateWay Community College: 4,670 this fall compared to 5,067 last fall, a decline of 7.8%
- Mesa Community College: 16,948 this fall compared to 20,351 last fall, a decline of 16.7%
- Phoenix College: 9,538 this fall compared to 11,109 last fall, a decline of 14.1%
- Paradise Valley Community College: 6,575 this fall compared to 7,900 last fall, a decline of 16.8%
- Rio Salado College: 17,362 this fall compared to 19,103 last fall, a decline of 9.1%
- Scottsdale Community College: 7,634 this fall compared to 8,602 last fall, a decline of 11.3%