NC community college enrollment climbs
CHARLOTTE, N.C. () – Student enrollment at community colleges is on the rise, and growth at North Carolina-based institutions outpaces the national average.
New data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center suggests undergraduate enrollment is up across the board, but community colleges saw the largest increase from Spring 2024 to Spring 2025 (5.4%).
Overall post-secondary enrollment rose 3.2%, translating to 562,000 students. The report estimates the U.S. now has a total of 18.4 million students pursuing graduate or undergraduate degrees.
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Community college enrollment in North Carolina jumped 8.3% since Spring 2024.
Governor Josh Stein advocated for increased investment in community college and targeted training programs through his proposed budget in April.
'My budget proposes providing free community college to students pursuing credentials in high-demand industries,' Stein said. 'I'm also proposing we expand apprenticeships in state government to recruit and retain talent to serve the public and establish a rural apprenticeship program to connect small businesses and farmers to apprentices.'
The General Assembly allocated $1.5 billion for the North Carolina Community College System in 2023. The proposed House budget allocates $1.7 billion for the next two fiscal years, while the proposed Senate budget allocates $1.8 billion for NCCCS.
The state's total enrollment across education sectors remains lower than pre-pandemic enrollment. 2025 data shows 2.3% fewer students than in 2020.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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