Latest news with #NationalStudentClearinghouseResearchCenter
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
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. Charlotte teen finishes in top 4 at Scripps National Spelling Bee 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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CNBC
5 days ago
- Business
- CNBC
In the battle between Trump and Harvard, trade schools may be an unlikely winner
In the escalating standoff between Harvard University and the White House, trade schools could come out on top. As part of a broader crackdown at the nation's wealthiest and most elite Ivy League schools, President Donald Trump recently signaled that he would divert funds from Harvard to financially support vocational training. "I am considering taking THREE BILLION DOLLARS of Grant Money away from a very antisemitic Harvard, and giving it to TRADE SCHOOLS all across our land," Trump posted on Monday on Truth Social. It's unclear how the president's plan might work, and there would be many obstacles associated with redirecting federal funding. But the president's comments underscore a changing perspective around alternative career pathways. In an interview on CNBC Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said, "the paradigm, looking at education, is shifting." "More adults, who are looking to upskill, are looking at different programs — two-year or short-term programs," McMahon said on CNBC's "Squawk Box." "We believe there are other ways to train people to make a good living for their families in this country, and maybe not go into the debt of four-year universities." More from Personal Finance: Harvard students are 'frantic,' college consultant saysWage garnishment for defaulted student loans to beginIs college still worth it? It is for most, but not all The rising cost of college and ballooning student loan balances have played a large role in changing views about the higher education system. Overall, college enrollment is still climbing, but largely driven by gains at community colleges as more students choose shorter-term credentials at a lower cost. Undergraduate enrollment increased across the major institutional sectors this spring. However, community colleges notched the largest uptick, rising 5% year over year, according to a recent report by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Undergraduate certificate program enrollment also jumped from a year ago, and is now up 20% since 2020. "This is great news for community colleges, and especially for those with strong vocational programs," said Doug Shapiro, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center's executive director. "Four-year colleges can also feel good about higher numbers of undergraduates this spring, but their growth rates are slower." Increasingly, high school students are questioning whether a four-year degree is worth it. Roughly 42% of high school students say they are pivoting to technical and career training or credentialing, or are planning to enroll in a local and less-expensive community college or in-state public school, according to a separate survey of 1,000 seniors, juniors and sophomores by the College Savings Foundation. That's up from 37% last year. A shortage of skilled tradespeople, due to experienced workers aging out of the field, is also boosting the number of job opportunities and pay in those roles. "Career programs at community colleges provide students with accessible, affordable and accredited credentials and certificates that lead to jobs in their local communities and in the global economy," said Walter Bumphus, president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges. "In President Trump's first term we were able to partner with the U.S. Department of Labor to increase the number of apprenticeship programs and services across the nation, garnering 22,000 registered apprentices across 633 occupations, illustrating what is possible when we harness the power of partnering with the nation's community colleges," Bumphus said in an email. However, as lower-income students increasingly choose to attend community colleges or career training programs, there may be consequences for their longer-term financial standing, other reports show. Attending college once provided a similar wage premium for students regardless of their parents' financial standing, but that's changed in recent years, according to a working paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research. As "lower-income students have been disproportionately diverted into community and for-profit colleges," their return on investment has suffered, the report found: "Higher-income students now derive greater average observational value from going to college than the lower-income students." In other words, despite efforts to improve college access, wealthier students, who are more likely to enroll in four-year schools, get a bigger payoff. Meanwhile, getting an Ivy League degree has a "statistically insignificant impact" on future earnings, according to a 2023 report by Harvard University-based nonpartisan, nonprofit research group Opportunity Insights based on admissions data from several private and public colleges. Even attending a college in the "Ivy-plus" category — which typically includes other top schools like Stanford University, Duke University, the University of Chicagoand Massachusetts Institute of Technologyrather than a highly selective public institution, has benefits, the report found. It nearly doubles the chances of going on to an elite graduate school and triples the chances of working at a prestigious firm. Further, it increases students' chances of ultimately reaching the top 1% of the earnings distribution by 60%, the Opportunity Insights report found. "Highly selective private colleges serve as gateways to the upper echelons of society," the group of Harvard and Brown University-based economists who authored the report said. "Because these colleges currently admit students from high-income families at substantially higher rates than students from lower-income families with comparable academic credentials, they perpetuate privilege."
Forbes
09-04-2025
- General
- Forbes
How To Build A Certificate Program Workers Actually Want In 6 Steps
How To Build A Certificate Program Workers Actually Want In 6 Steps Certificate programs are everywhere now. Universities, tech companies, even influencers are offering them. According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC), more students earned a certificate in 2023 than in any of the previous 10 years. But some of them feel like a letdown. You sign up hoping to gain something practical and maybe even transformational. Instead, you get recorded interviews, awkward discussion boards, and assignments that seem pulled from a high school workbook. If it is not going to challenge, inspire, or genuinely teach something useful, why are learners paying thousands of dollars? I recently completed a certificate course at a major university and found myself increasingly frustrated. The content was limited to recorded interviews and materials that offered little beyond what I could have found through a quick search. What made it worse was that the course released content one week at a time. I had to wait for each new section to open, even though I could have completed the entire program in a few days. Dragging it out made the experience feel like an attempt to justify the high cost. I kept thinking: I could have learned this with a few well-phrased prompts or YouTube tutorials. How Are Certificate Programs Different From University Courses? I have developed quite a bit of curriculum throughout my career for many different universities, online platforms, and even Forbes. Much of what universities do is create a template with course learning outcomes (aka what you want people to learn by the end of the course) and align assignments to reach those goals. It is not that different to write a certificate program. A college course is typically part of a degree program, focused on academic learning and theoretical foundations, often taught over several weeks for credit. A certificate program is designed to teach a specific skill or outcome, usually in a shorter, more flexible format geared toward working professionals. A college course teaches you why something matters, while a certificate program shows you how to do it. So, I thought it might be interesting to write an article that is a mini certificate program on how to build a certificate program. For this example, let's assume you want to create an emotional intelligence trainer certificate. The steps below apply to nearly any professional certification, whether you're building it as a consultant, a university, or a learning and development leader. Step One: Start With The Learner's Goal In The Certificate Program Step Two: Map The Milestones In The Certificate Program Step Three: Choose The Right Format For The Certificate Program Step Four: Build Assignments That Add Value To The Certificate Program Step Five: Test The Certificate Program Like A Product Step Six: Market The Outcome Of The Certificate Program What Learners And Employers Want From A Certificate Program Learners want clear results, a practical toolkit, a sense of progress, and content they cannot find with a quick search. Many do not want delayed access, forced discussions, or assignments that serve no clear purpose. Certificates only matter to employers if they lead to real skill-building. Can the learner apply what they have learned? Can they show the presentation, workshop, or framework they created, not just a digital badge. Did they solve a relevant problem? For example, they helped improve team communication through an emotional intelligence training they designed. Did they take initiative to grow in a specific direction? Certification should be a proactive approach to professional development. A Final Thought For Anyone Creating A Certificate Program A good certificate program is about leveling up. If someone pays a premium, they should walk away with something they could not have learned from a free video or generic course. Whether you are a university, an entrepreneur, or a training leader, the ultimate test is this: Can your learners do something new, useful, and relevant because of your course? If the answer is yes, you are building something that truly gives value.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
As college enrollment declines, interest in these majors is growing for the 2024-25 school year
For the past decade, college enrollment has steadily declined; at the same time, students' career aspirations have undergone a dramatic transformation. Long considered the gateway to financial stability, a college degree is no longer viewed as the only—or even the best—path to success. Freshman enrollment fell 5% this fall compared to last year, according to data released in October 2024 by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. This decline particularly concerns working-class adults and rural students, who are already underrepresented in higher education. In a 2023 study, researchers from the University of Massachusetts and the University of Memphis showed that an average of 1 in 10 students in the U.S. live in "education deserts," regions with no colleges or universities or just one community college. Combined with a lack of institutions nearby that match students' credentials, these regions turn into "match deserts," leaving few higher education opportunities to choose from. Meanwhile, the overall number of young adults pursuing short-term credentials is growing, with enrollment in certificate programs increasing by over 7%. Additionally, more young people are turning to skilled trades as blue-collar work gains new respectability and appeal. The growing demand for skilled trade workers reflects shifting priorities in the U.S. labor market and challenges traditional assumptions about higher education. The 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law increased investment in federal public transportation programs while rising real estate redevelopment has created a surge in demand for tradespeople. Industries like construction and manufacturing report significant workforce shortages, with job openings in areas like welding and construction labor reaching record highs. Meanwhile, the rise of automation and artificial intelligence is reshaping demand for traditional white-collar jobs, such as those in tech and computer science, reflected in lower enrollment trends for certain majors. Moreover, the looming "enrollment cliff" has become a growing challenge for colleges and universities, as Dick Startz—professor of economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara—described in a Brookings Institution article. This drop, largely tied to a decline in birth rates following the 2008 recession, means fewer young adults will reach college age in the coming years. For many institutions, this shrinking pool of prospective students raises serious concerns about the future. In some states, a drastic drop in enrollment may put schools at risk of closure; in others, college programs or funding may be altogether eliminated. The COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated decreasing enrollment, as online learning gained traction and fewer students opted for traditional, on-campus experiences. To adapt, colleges have been exploring new strategies, like recruiting international students and adult learners, as well as developing flexible, innovative programs—both online and in person. However, many institutions, especially smaller ones, face significant challenges in navigating the shifting landscape of higher education. Scholarship Institute examined data compiled by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center to see which undergraduate programs are gaining and waning in popularity. Data represents the change in enrollment in the top 20 majors from fall 2022 to fall 2024. While college enrollment has slowed, Eric Greenberg—president of the New York-based consulting firm Greenberg Educational Group—insists that professional and science, technology, engineering, and math fields still dominate. Compared to last year, these fields showed gains mainly because of the higher earning potential of STEM graduates. Academic trends often mirror shifts and priorities in public life and societal issues, such as the surge in physics majors during the Cold War. Each shift tells a story, revealing how students navigate an uncertain future. Increased interest in computer and information sciences reflects the ongoing demand for tech-savvy professionals. However, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center notes the growth in computer science college programs has plateaued compared to previous years, potentially signaling market saturation or a reevaluation of tech job stability amid widespread layoffs in the sector. Multi-interdisciplinary studies and engineering have also seen substantial growth. This may point to students gravitating toward flexible, integrative skills that apply to emerging industries. Engineering, in particular, remains a cornerstone for addressing global infrastructure challenges and climate change, reflecting a long-term focus on problem-solving professions. The steady growth in business, marketing, and management majors highlights the enduring importance of entrepreneurial and leadership skills in a rapidly evolving economy. As industries adapt to technological advancements and global competition, students are drawn to fields that equip them with versatile, in-demand expertise. Programs in social services and public administration are gaining traction. These fields align with pressing issues like social justice, sustainability, and crisis management, which are of major significance to today's youth. Declines in traditional humanities majors point to skepticism about their return on investment, driven by economic pressures, uncertainties, and ballooning student loan debt. Students and their families increasingly hesitate to invest in fields with less clear career trajectories. Liberal arts and English literature programs have experienced steep enrollment drops, reflecting their weaker earning potential than STEM and business fields. According to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, graduates in STEM and business majors earn a median salary of $60,000 to $65,000 within five years of graduation, significantly higher than the $40,000 median for humanities graduates. Universities have begun responding to students' fluctuating career choices by integrating practical skills into liberal arts curricula, such as those in digital humanities or interdisciplinary programs. However, these changes may not be competitive enough in an era when students increasingly prioritize financial stability. Similarly, interest in security and protective services has declined. They may not align with the broader aspirations of younger generations, who often prioritize social impact and environmental sustainability in their career choices and potential income. Jobs in the security industry can offer a sense of meaning, but they are also physically demanding, sometimes dangerous, and often involve long, irregular hours. They may also offer low pay and repetitive tasks. Declining enrollment in teaching programs also highlights systemic issues in the country's education. Teachers often face lower pay, rising workloads, and limited support from public officials, leading to burnout and a nationwide teacher shortage. Without significant reform, these challenges risk further eroding interest in the profession, potentially eroding the broader educational landscape. Careers, however, are rarely straightforward, and no matter how much one charts their course in advance, they are likely to shift with the winds of the time. Story editing by Alizah Salario. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Sofía Jarrín. Photo selection by Ania Antecka. This story was produced by and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Freshman College Enrollment Actually Increased Last Year, Corrected Report Finds
After correcting for an earlier data error, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC) reported last week that college freshman enrollment increased by 5.5% last fall. The new figures are a reversal of the center's preliminary results released in October 2024, which indicated a decline in college freshman enrollment. Initial estimates reported by the NSCRC in the fall report indicated that enrollment of college freshmen had declined by 5% last year, with especially concerning drops at four-year colleges that serve low-income students. The report projected the largest drop in freshman enrollment since 2020. The NSCRC announced a significant correction to that report earlier this month, stating that it had been based on a 'methodological error' that 'caused the mislabeling of certain students as dual enrolled rather than as freshmen,' which skewed the research group's preliminary enrollment figures. The NSCRC's subsequent research, reported in its recently released Current Term Enrollment Estimates, found that freshman enrollment grew by 5.5% in fall 2024 compared to 2023, representing an increase of about 130,000 freshmen. The growth is driven by older first-year students; enrollment of 18-year-old freshmen is still below pre-pandemic 2019 levels, the NSCRC said. Overall college enrollment grew 4.5% in fall 2024 compared to the previous year, a gain of about 817,000 post-secondary students. Total college enrollment is now about 0.4% above 2019's pre-pandemic levels, with undergraduate enrollment at nearly 16 million students and graduate enrollment at 3.2 million students, the report found. In his statement about the error, NSCRC Executive Director Doug Shapiro said the Current Term Enrollment Estimates report published in January provides a more comprehensive view of enrollment trends based on data from nearly all higher education institutions and uses different methodologies to determine freshman enrollees. The 'Stay Informed' preliminary enrollment report published in October 2024 was based on data from half of the colleges and universities that submit data to the organization. 'The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center acknowledges the importance and significance of its role in providing accurate and reliable research to the higher education community,' Shapiro said in a statement. He added that the center deeply regrets the error and is conducting a thorough review to discover its source. Inside Higher Ed reported that the error came to light as researchers were preparing the center's January report and noted the sharp contrast between preliminary estimates and the final numbers, prompting a retroactive review of the October report and the center's November special analysis on 18-year-old freshmen. The research center created the Stay Informed report in the summer of 2020 to provide 'early and real-time enrollment information' to meet the needs of the higher education community at the height of the COVID pandemic. It has continued to produce these preliminary reports each fall, followed by final and complete reporting on enrollment each winter in its January reports. Because the NSCRC has been the go-to source for statistical data on higher education, revelations of the miscalculation shook researchers and higher education leaders and the media outlets that covered the report. The past year has been a challenging one for the higher education sector. Jeremy Cohen, an NSCRC research associate and one of the report's authors, said that there are a number of forces affecting freshman enrollment, including demographic shifts, the projected decline of high school graduates in the U.S. and the shaky rollout of the 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The U.S. Department of Education noted a potential issue with the preliminary results as early as October when its financial data showed a 3% increase in students receiving federal aid for 2024-25, with 10% more students on track to receive Pell Grants — figures that didn't match the enrollment declines NSCRC had reported. In a statement last week, the Education Department's former undersecretary James Kvaal said he was 'encouraged and relieved' by the revised assessment, which he said was consistent with what officials were seeing on the financial side. Though the enrollment figures for fall 2024 now tell a different story, suggesting at least a moderate post-pandemic recovery, the revised figures don't change the fact that some steep declines still loom for higher education. According to a recent report from the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, the number of 18-year-old high school graduates will peak in 2025 at around 3.9 million and are expected to be followed by a 15-year decline, bringing the projected demographic cliff to reality. Undergraduate enrollment for fall 2024 increased for all racial and ethnic demographics, with Hispanic, Black, Asian and multiracial students' enrollment increasing for the third consecutive fall. White student enrollment grew 1% in fall 2024, the first increase from pre-pandemic levels. The 2024 report saw a continuation of the trend of 18-year-old incoming freshmen reporting their race or ethnicity as 'unknown' or declining to report it at all. Undergraduate enrollment increased across all sectors, with community colleges seeing especially strong growth, a 5.9% increase, or 325,000 additional students. Freshman growth was especially robust at community colleges, with 63,000 freshmen enrolled over the last year. Public two-year institutions with a strong emphasis on vocational programs saw healthy growth for the second year in a row, up 13.6% in the last year. Schools with a high vocational program focus now comprise 19.5% of public two-year enrollment, up from 15.3% in 2019. Undergraduate certificate program enrollment increased for the fourth consecutive year, up nearly 10% in the fall of 2024, placing enrollments 28.5% above 2019 levels. Enrollment in bachelor's and associate degree programs increased slightly but remained below 2019 levels. Enrollment increased across all regions in fall 2024, with institutions in the Northeast seeing a 4.7% increase — the first since before the pandemic. The South and West saw similar gains, with the Midwest seeing enrollment rise by 3.1%.
