SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — More students are heading to Illinois' community colleges to continue with their education, according to officials with the Illinois Community College Board.
The group released its 2024 spring enrollment report on Wednesday, March 13. The report found that spring enrollment in the state's community colleges rose for the second consecutive year.
- 2022 enrollment: 233,041 students
- 2023 enrollment: 249,836 students
- 2024 enrollment: 262,638 students
Additionally, the increased student headcount is well above national enrollment trends, according to the ICCB.
“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. 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,” ICCB Executive Director Brian Durham said in a press release.
According to the ICCB report, 36 of Illinois' community colleges saw an increased enrollment from spring 2023 to 2024. 12 of the colleges saw a decrease.
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