an “enrollment” cliff is set to hit institutions of higher learning in 2025.
Colleges and universities across the U.S. are trying to enroll more “adult” students as their traditional-aged applicant pool grows ever smaller.
Facing a decline in enrollment — and fearing that decline could become a cliff as America’s population of fresh high school graduates continues to shrink — schools are offering flexible schedules, financial aid, childcare and specialized advisors in an effort to appeal to adults 25 and older.
The enrollment drop presents problems both for schools’ finances and, more broadly, for the American labor market, as a drop in the number of college graduates could worsen labor shortages in fields such as health care.
“We have a responsibility to fill that skills gap,” said Pueblo Community College (PCC) President Patricia Erjavec.
Making it easier for adult learners, especially those with some college education, to return to school is one way to address both issues. The number of American adults with some college experience but no degree grew to 40.4 million in 2023, according to data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
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Colleges and universities across the U.S. are trying to enroll more "adult" students as their traditional-aged applicant pool grows ever smaller https://t.co/5CkLSd6YoW pic.twitter.com/5z7rMbTRzu
— The Hill (@thehill) February 6, 2024
Standardized tests aren’t perfect. But they remain one of the best small-d democratic tools in America. https://t.co/vL2OFjGuzo
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) February 6, 2024
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