WORCESTER – The Massachusetts Department of Higher Education announced an increase in public higher education enrollment in Massachusetts for the first time since fall 2013. The preliminary data indicates an increase of 2.9 percent in undergraduate enrollment for fall 2023 compared to fall 2022.
The total undergraduate enrollment in the state rises to nearly 153,000. an approximate net increase of 4,000 students. Community college enrollments saw an 8 percent increase, translating to over 5,000 additional students. Every one of the 15 public community colleges in Massachusetts reported enrollment growth, particularly among new first-time and transfer students, which rose by 12.2 percent.
State universities, however, experienced a slight decrease in overall undergraduate enrollment, down by 192 students or 0.6 percent, but have seen a 3.5 percent increase in new first-time student enrollment, signaling a positive trend after years of more significant declines.
The University of Massachusetts (UMass) campuses collectively observed a 1 percent decrease in undergraduate enrollment compared to the previous fall, with most of the decline concentrated at UMass Amherst. However, the other UMass campuses – Boston, Lowell, and Dartmouth – have shown increases in either total undergraduate or new first-time enrollments.
The Department of Higher Education says this preliminary fall data provides a high-level summary of enrollments across public higher education in Massachusetts. It expects to release a comprehensive analysis of various enrollment aspects, including program choices and student demographics, in 2024. That analysis will include the impact of new initiatives, like MassReconnect, on enrollment trends. MassReconnect is a new program making community college free for Massachusetts residents aged 25 and older and awarded $100,000 to each of Massachusetts’ 15 community colleges to build student awareness and support the quick implementation of the program.
The last time Massachusetts public higher education enrollment increased in 2013, the total number of enrollees in the system was nearly 197,000. With the 2.9 percent increase this year, total enrollment is around 44,000 students lower than 2013.
John Phelan, Harrington Learning Center, Quinsigamond Community College, Greendale MA, CC BY-SA 3.0
