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Is interest in a 4-year college degree drying up? Not really.
Four-year college enrollment is just 1% below pre-pandemic levels while community colleges see significant declines due to economic factors and changing student preferences.
- Recently, four‑year college enrollment has almost fully recovered to near-record levels after a pandemic dip, while enrollment at two‑year, open‑enrollment institutions has fallen dramatically.
- A new study coauthored by Joshua Goodman shows economic trends and low completion rates drive the two‑year schools decline, with recent joblessness increases boosting enrollment temporarily.
- Data show the college‑wage premium at about 75%, while the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects many non‑degreed jobs pay under $40,000, even as net tuition trends show lower net price in recent years.
- Students are increasingly flocking to flagship publics like UCLA and the University of Michigan as growing skepticism among voters and legal and rhetorical actions by the Trump administration heighten pressure on American colleges.
- Media coverage has often conflated two‑year and four‑year trends, while generative AI and smaller upcoming high‑school cohorts introduce uncertainty about future enrollment.
Insights by Ground AI
26 Articles
26 Articles
Coverage Details
Total News Sources26
Leaning Left2Leaning Right0Center19Last UpdatedBias Distribution90% Center
Bias Distribution
- 90% of the sources are Center
90% Center
C 90%
Factuality
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