SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — The Illinois Community College Board calculated a 5.1 percent increase in total enrollment for the statewide system in their Spring Enrollment report.
That makes it the third largest headcount increase to the state’s community college system in the last 15 years. Officials said Illinois community colleges outpaced the national average growth of community colleges, which experienced a growth of 2.6 percent between Spring 2022 and Spring 2023.
“The efforts of the Illinois Community College System to aggressively recruit and retain students, and to expand access to new ways of learning continues to pay off,” said ICCB Executive Director Brian Durham. “The growth we are seeing consistently over these past two years, in the post-pandemic era, is a testament to the transformative power of the many accessible learning opportunities available across the system.”
Of the 48 community colleges in the state, 36 community colleges experienced an increase enrollment. Central Illinois community colleges that had their enrollment increase in the 2024 spring semester include Parkland, Richland, Lake Land, Danville Area, Lincoln Land and Heartland.
Duel credit enrollment increased by 9.1 percent and adult education increased by 19 percent
The only instructional area that experienced a decrease in headcount was vocational skill training, with a 7.3 percent decrease.
The full report can be viewed on the ICCB’s website.
