Fall undergraduate enrollment at the nation’s colleges and universities has increased for the first time since 2020 despite a declining freshman headcount at four-year institutions.

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reported Thursday that annual undergraduate enrollment among all higher education institutions grew by 2.1% this fall, led by a 4.4% surge at community colleges responsible for 58.9% of the total increase.

At the same time, freshman enrollment dropped by 3.6%, reversing a gain in 2022 and leaving the first-year headcount less than a percentage point higher than in fall 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Declines in traditional demographic groups enrolling in four-year colleges accounted for most of the loss.

Higher education insiders say it’s too soon to know if the report’s preliminary findings are a blip or the start of a new trend away from four-year degrees.

While Black, Latino and Asian students signing up for certificate programs “accounted for most of the … enrollment growth this fall,” the research center noted that a 9.4% drop in White students enrolling as college freshmen caused the decline in first-year students.

“Students continue to gravitate towards shorter-term credentials, with enrollments in undergraduate certificate programs jumping 9.9 percent, compared to 3.6 percent for associate degrees and just 0.9 percent for bachelor’s degrees,” the center said.

The report found that first-year enrollment dropped by 6.1% at four-year public schools and by 4% at private nonprofit campuses while rising by 11% at for-profit institutions, reversing a trend last year.

Enrollment for Asian, Black and Latino students grew by 4%, 2.2% and 4.4%, respectively, also the reverse of last year.

Undergraduate enrollment grew at all age and neighborhood income levels, including students over 30 years old. Dual-enrolled high students saw the sharpest growth, increasing by 8.8%.

Other key figures from the report include:

Graduate enrollment increased by 0.7%, led by a 5.6% increase in graduate certificate program headcount that reversed a decline last fall.

Among community colleges, 40% of the growth came from dual-enrolled high school students seeking college credit, who have led an upward trend in community college enrollment over recent years.

The number of women enrolled grew by 1.2% and the number of men jumped by 2.2%, continuing a trend of fewer women enrolling in college since the pandemic.

• Sean Salai can be reached at ssalai@washingtontimes.com.