IOWA, USA — The Iowa Department of Education has released its annual report on attendance at the state's community colleges.
According to that data, 7,128 students were enrolled in Eastern Iowa Community Colleges at the beginning of the 2023 fall semester, which is a decrease of less than a quarter of a percent compared to 2022. EICC also had a 39% increase in credit hours earned during hybrid classes, mixing online and in-person instruction.
Looking at the rest of the state, overall community college enrollment increased by 3,111 compared to the previous year, reaching a total of 85,362 students.
“Iowa is continuing to see a strong rise in student enrollment at community colleges across the state,” Amy Gieseke with the Iowa Department of Education said. “Although we have not fully returned to pre-pandemic enrollment levels, the increases in fall enrollment prove community colleges are continuing to reach students to provide them with the high-quality education, training and industry certifications to ensure successful preparation for their careers and future success.”
Here is some additional information from the Department of Education on major takeaways from the data:
- Enrollment increased at nine colleges and decreased at six.
- Over 56 % of enrolled students were female.
- Students of color represented 21.8 % of students, which is a decrease of 2.7% from the previous year.
- Nearly 5,350 students enrolled in one of the 27 transfer major disciplines.
- More than 41,900 students enrolled in at least one online course, a 12.1% decrease.
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